Mumbai stores keep out Maggi as Delhi puts others brands under scrutiny

Maggi removed from army canteens and CSE wants nutrition labels

GN Bureau | June 4, 2015


#maggi   #noodles   #mumbai   #delhi   #ram vilas paswan   #food  

Even while Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan was taking credit for suo moto action of the government (for the first time after independence) in a matter like Maggi noodles, one Mumbai retailers' organisation on Thursday ordered all members to stop selling Maggi noodles.

The government had filed a complaint against Nestle India with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC). He said the government, for the first time, was taking action under Section 12-1-D of the Consumer Protection Act, under which both the Centre and states have powers to file complaints.

On the other hand, the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association has told its 25,000 provision stores in Mumbai to stop selling Maggi till the results of the Maharashtra government tests are declared.

In Mumbai there has been a sharp drop of 50 percent in Maggi noodles sales.

The Indian army has asked its personnel to avoid Maggi and directed over 1,000 military canteens to remove stocks from the shelves until further orders.

Meanwhile, Delhi and West Bengal governments are testing other brands of instant noodles and chips as nation grapples with food safety concerns.

Delhi health minister Satyendra Jain said that the tests will be done on other brands to see whether they conform to parameters. The health minister also said he proposed to make the food adulteration act more stringent.

Jain said the government has asked Nestle to recall the noodle packets from the national capital and announced a 15-day ban.

He revealed that the lead content found in the samples is beyond permissible limits. Only one of the thirteen specimens tested by the Delhi government’s food safety lab was deemed acceptable, with lead levels in ten of them exceeding the prescribed limit while five were inaccurately branded and contained taste-enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) without proper declaration.

Uttarakhand too has announced a ban on Maggi, while more than 10 states, including Maharashtra and Karnataka are carrying out tests on the product.

Apart from Delhi, the West Bengal government too said it is sending popular brands of snacks like Kurkure and Lays for testing.

In Himachal Pradesh officials picked up samples in several districts. Apart from Maggi, samples of chocolates and some dairy products were also collected.

Joining the issue that needs to be examined much deeply, the research and advocacy body Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has called for appropriate "nutrition fact labelling" on all food products.

As a consumer's right, what is there in a food product should be clearly mentioned on the pack with quantity of each ingredient reflecting the recommended daily allowance, CSE's food safety team  programme manager Amit Khurana said on Wednesday.

CSE also welcomed the initiative of food authorities to test food samples for heavy metals.

Comments

 

Other News

How to leverage AI to solve urgent global issues

The world seems to be hurling towards World War III in all the possible scenarios: hot war, cold war, and proxy war. The battleground seems to have expanded beyond physical to digital or virtual/mixed reality with technology like drones. Moreover, the line between civilian and military targets seems to hav

Budget: Progress towards SDGs and areas for improvement

The Union Budget 2025-26 outlines India`s vision for economic and social growth while also reflecting the country`s commitment to sustainable development. As India moves closer to the 2030 deadline for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this budget presents a balanced approach

Repo rate cut by 25 basis points to 6.25%

The Reserve Bank of India has, for the first time in five years, reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 6.25% with immediate effect. Consequently, the standing deposit facility (SDF) rate will stand adjusted to 6.00% and the marginal

Amitav Ghosh’s new work: Connections between the word and the world

Wild Fictions: Essays By Amitav Ghosh HarperCollins, 496 pages, Rs 799.00 Amitav Ghosh, one of a handful of Ind

How markets can help (and also hinder) fight against pollution

In the annals of environmental policy, few ideas have been as transformative as the Emissions Trading System (ETS). Born from the minds of economists in the late 1960s, this market-based approach to pollution control has evolved from a theoretical concept to a global tool in the fight against climate chang

Will Bihar complement the resolution of Viksit Bharat 2047?

As India completes its diamond jubilee as a republic, I am reminded of a statement by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, delivered during an address to the Bihar Chamber of Commerce in Patna on March 28, 2006. He said, “I have visited Bihar numerous times, and it has always been a source of happiness for me to

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now



Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter