UP district bans Nestle pasta after local lab finds high lead content

Maggi Pazzta is 100% safe. The finished product and the raw materials used to make it undergo rigorous testing during every stage of the manufacturing process. NESTLE INDIA

VARANASI: Mau district administration in eastern Uttar Pradesh imposed a ban on the sale of Nestle’s pasta on Saturday.

The ban follows laboratory tests confirming the presence of 6 PPM (Parts Per Million) lead which is more than double the permissible limit in the Pazzta samples supposedly collected from a distributor in Mau on June 10.

Additional district magistrate Sameer Verma said, “A ban has been imposed on the sale of pasta by Nestlé following instructions from district magistrate.”

A team of the food safety and drug administration (FSDA) has also collected four fresh samples each of Nestlé pasta and Yippee brand noodles.

“All the samples have been sent to the food testing laboratory, Lucknow. We have asked the authorities at the laboratory to provide the test report as soon as possible,” he said.

“The standard limit is 2.5 PPM (parts per million), whereas it has been found to be 6 PPM. The letter sent to Nestle’s Modinagar address has come back undelivered,” Arvind Yadav, designated officer at food and drug administration, Mau, had said on Friday.

In a statement, Nestle India said, “Maggi Pazzta is 100% safe. The finished product and the raw materials used to make it undergo rigorous testing during every stage of the manufacturing process.”

“We have seen media reports claiming that lead has been found and we are investigating it. We have not received any formal notification from the authorities in UP or from the FSSAI about such test results,” the statement added.

As per the company’s website, Nestle sells pasta under its brand Maggi Pazzta in four flavours — Masala Penne, Cheese Macaroni, Mushroom Penne and Tomato Twist.

Pasta samples collected from Nestle distributor at Mau district in the state on June 10, were sent to a government food testing laboratory in Lucknow, designated Officer at Food and Drug Administration Mau Arvind Yadav said on Friday.

“According to report received on September 2, they failed the tests,” he added.

(With agencies input)