Gujarat, Karnataka revoke ban, Maggi noodles to be back soon
AHMEDABAD/BENGALURU:
Four days after Nestle India announced 100% safety clearance of Maggi noodle samples, the Gujarat government on Monday announced lifting the ban on selling the popular food item, a top official said.
Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Authority (FDCA) commissioner HG Koshia said the state government had lifted the ban, imposed in June, after the Bombay high court order.
Earlier in June, the state FDCA had imposed the ban on Maggi noodles which was to remain in force till September, amid concerns over high lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG) content.
After the Bombay HC relief in mid-August, the FDCA also revoked its ban, Koshia said.
In Bengaluru too, independent tests commissioned by the Karnataka government found that the presence of lead in Maggi noodles is within permissible limits.
Announcing the same on Monday, health minister UT Khader said, “We had banned Maggi in Karnataka honouring the central government’s directive. Now we have conducted independent tests and found that it is safe.”
This does not, however, mean that Maggi will return to the shelves in Karnataka anytime soon. Khader said before restarting manufacture and sale in the state, Nestle will have to get a clearance certificate from central food certification labs.
“This is just a clearance from us. They will still have to follow other central guidelines,” he said.
Last Friday, Nestle India had announced that 100% of the samples tested in three labs were cleared and the noodles are safe for consumption.