The capital takes a stand against Maggi: 15-day ban begins

Maggi woes mounted when yesterday, New Delhi decided to ban the product for 15 days. The Food Safety and Standards authority of India also ordered nation-wide tests after an order from the Union Minister. 

In Delhi, authorities have ordered Maggi to be removed from shelves. This comes after 10 of 13 samples of Maggi failed laboratory tests and were found to be unsafe because they contained more than the permissible level of lead.

The Indian Army, too, has issued an advisory asking soldiers to avoid Maggi and has asked it canteens to keep their stock aside. 

Only one of 13 samples tested in a Delhi laboratory was deemed acceptable. Lead levels in 10 samples exceeded the prescribed limit and five were inaccurately branded and contained MSG without a proper declaration.

The Future Group, which runs the Big Bazaar retail stores across the country, too banned the sale of the noodles.

Around the country:

 West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh are currently in the process of testing samples. 

West Bengal has taken it a step further and have ordered tests on popular snacks like Kurkure and Lays.

While in Kerala, a pullout of Maggi noodles from about 1,300 government-run outlets have been carried out till there is clarity on quality. “Last week, we decided not to take fresh stocks until Nestle is cleared of all charges. Around 1,700 outlets have taken the product off their shelves,” said food minister Anoop Jacob.

Goa’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) too has said that the Maggi noodles samples it tested were found to be safe for human consumption. It said the samples tested negative for MSG and lead content.

How it effects Nestle: 

Shares in Nestle traded almost 10 per cent lower on Wednesday. Analysts say Maggi noodles contributes over 20 per cent to Nestle’s revenues in India and a ban on the product could cause a huge dent in the company’s bottom line.