No discrimination against Nestle
OFFICIAL SAYS NO BIAS AGAINST ANY COMPANY, WHILE CLAIMING MAGGIE NOODLES AMONG HUNDREDS OF FOOD SAMPLES TESTED EACH YEAR
It goes to the credit of the minion Barabanki office of Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (FSDA) in Uttar Pradesh (UP), which despite several shortcomings, managed to bring the giant Nestle empire to its knees for misguiding people.
According to the latest reports, the Bombay High Court has declined to stay the order banning nine variants of Maggi noodles till June 30.
As more test details have come in, other popular brands of noodles were reported to be equally unsafe for consumption. The report by Delhi government’s food department has revealed that of the 12 samples of other brands, eight have failed the quality test. The samples collected were from brands like Top Ramen, Tops, Ching’s and Foodles. The lab reports show that on many products, manufacturers have not mentioned ingredients like MSG.
Hemant Rao, who heads the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department’s (FSDA) UP branch, says, “The objective behind the recall or ban on manufacturing is to give manufacturers an opportunity to improve and offer a better and safer product to people.”
As the Indian food market is evolving and companies are expected to behave responsibly, Rao speaks to Gulf News.
The world over, Barabanki has been made famous by your department.
It shows we have been working seriously on food safety and are particular about enforcement of the Food Safety Act. In the past also we have caught the attention regarding adulteration of commodities. It’s just that this time things shot into prominence.
But why did it take more than a year to declare Maggi unsafe for health? A lot of damage, in terms of consumption could have been avoided.
There’s a legal procedure to it all. In this case, a sample was taken by the Barabanki office and sent to the lab in Gorakhpur for analysis in March 2014. The report was then sent to the district level officer and the retailer, from whom the packets were picked up, was also informed. As is the norm, the retailer was given the opportunity and the option to send the sample for further investigation. On getting the nod, the sample was sent to the referral laboratory in Kolkata. This lab is generally busy and overworked. After sitting over it for some time, they said the quantity sent was inadequate for the test. By this time it was already end of the year. After more packets of the product were sent to them, the tests were conducted and the report came in April 2015. That’s when we declared Maggi noodles were ‘unsafe’ and initiated action against the retailer by sealing his shop. The shop was, however, allowed to open as the retailer was only selling the packaged product and was not the manufacturer.
Nestle has said the samples could have been contaminated during the lengthy transit?
They may say anything now. The labs first check the status of the samples to verify that the packets are not tampered.
What immediate steps are needed to ensure that consumers are not taken for a ride?
We are increasing the staff strength and also the standards of the laboratories by gradually introducing modern technologies. Labs, such as the one in Gorakhpur, do not have the facility to test ‘lead’ in products. But it must be pointed out that Uttar Pradesh is the only state where the food safety department is an independent entity, which has the freedom and functionality to take decisions freely. Otherwise, in other states health secretaries have to double up as food safety in charge. Importantly, the data by the Food Safety Authority says that out of the total penalty levied in 2014-15, UP accounts for one-third of total penalties.
Are you hoping for any infrastructure changes in your department?
The FSDA was introduced in 2006. But it was in 2011 that food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was created to implement FSDA. The infrastructure was put in place, but we are grappling with a lot more and there’s need for more staff strength.
Which other companies are on your agenda and likely to face action?
We try not to discriminate against any company by pinpointing names. For instance, after Nestle’s Maggi, samples of other noodle companies are also being tested. In fact, [Maggi] were among hundreds of samples of food tested each year.
How is it that Maggi samples in Goa tested negative?
Under the food safety Act, state governments function independently. But then it’s like gutka (tobacco product), which is banned in many states, but continues to be sold in other states.