Nestle to recall all nine variants of Maggi noodles in India

India’s Food Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) has ordered Nestle to recall all nine varieties of Maggi noodles amid a food scare regarding excess lead in the popular product.

This is said to be India’s worst food safety crisis since the pesticide scare in soft drinks marketed by Pepsico and Coca Cola.

The authority said in a statement that it found the products unsafe and harmful for human consumption, and has asked the company to stop further production, processing, import, distribution and sale of all the nine products.

The company is also accused of mislabeling its product by adding ‘No added MSG’ or mono-sodium glutamate, a taste enhancer, on its packaging.

According to FSSAI, the company has been selling its product ‘Maggie Oats Masala Noodles with Tastemaker’ without the necessary risk assessment procedures, and has asked the company to immediately recall it.

In a damage control exercise, Nestle’s global CEO Paul Bulcke said on Friday that Maggi noodles are safe for consumption after the company tested around 1,000 batches of the noodles over the last few days.

Nestle said in a statement: "Maggi Noodles are completely safe and have been trusted in India for over 30 years. The trust of our consumers and the safety of our products is our first priority.

"Unfortunately, recent developments and unfounded concerns about the product have led to an environment of confusion for the consumer, to such an extent that we have decided to withdraw the product off the shelves, despite the product being safe."

Bulcke was quoted by NDTV as saying: "We have the same quality standards and safety procedures everywhere in the world."

The company and its products came under close scrutiny in the past few weeks after the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh discovered excess amount of lead in the products, which could make the noodles dangerous for children.

As of 4 June, five states across India including the national capital, New Delhi, have banned the noodles temporarily.

As per sources, India’s Government has also filed for damages from Nestle on behalf of consumers; however, a Nestle spokesperson said the company has not received any official notification yet.

Meanwhile, taking a cue from India, the food authorities in UK and Canada have also begun testing Maggi noodle samples as a precautionary measure.