FSSAI chief defends Maggi ban, questions why Nestle destroyed stocks of noodles

While the Bombay High Court may have given Nestle India and Maggi a lifeline after calling for fresh tests in the next six weeks, the Maggi saga is far from over. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is still convinced about why the ban was imposed on the instant noodles brand. The regulator has maintained that the ban on the product was done after thorough tests on the products, according to a report by the Indian Express, and has questioned Nestle’s extensive disposal of existing Maggi stock. [caption id=“attachment_2280600” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  AFP[/caption] Malik also questioned the export clearance given to Maggi by foreign countries saying that the foreign food safety organisations that have given clean chits haven’t specified which batches they were drawn from. “The US, Australia and New Zealand may have given clean chits but the samples were all drawn from the export facility. We have already requested the UKFDA, which has called India’s Maggi safe, to share with us the details such as when and where the samples were drawn from, the batch of the samples, what factors were considered, what testing protocol was followed and the test results. However, despite three reminders they have not replied.” he said. The FSSAI chief also said that there was no error in the testing carrying out by its laboratories and also said that Nestle had chosen to not mention the fact that the instant noodles contained MSG. FSSAI’s response is not the end of worries for Maggi and Nestle India. Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has said the Bombay High Court’s verdict will not affect the government’s case claiming Rs 640 crore in damages from Nestle for misleading advertisement and unfair trade practices. Stating that the High Court order would not alter the grounds on which the case has been filed at NCDRC, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the government would not withdraw its petition. “The decision of the Bombay High Court does not materially alter, either on law or on facts, the grounds urged in our complaint,” Paswan told PTI. Last week, in a respite for Swiss company Nestle India, the Bombay High Court had observed that principles of natural justice were not followed by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Maharashtra’s Food and Drugs Department (FDA) before imposing the ban. A division bench of the high court allowed had therefore allowed Nestle to go in for fresh testing to ascertain whether lead content in the popular snack is below permissible limit. While Maggi has a grace period to get its act together, it remains to be seen how useful this time will be. If FSSAI and Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry’s stand is anything to go by, the road for Maggi’s revival may not end in six weeks. (With agency inputs)