Indian Army asks its personnel not to consume Maggi noodles

Maggi

New Delhi: The Army issued an advisory yesterday asking its personnel not to consume Maggi noodles, and directed military canteens to set aside the existing stock of the popular snack until further orders.

Maggi is one of the most consumed food items among Army personnel. Pic/AFP

The order, issued last evening, comes in the wake of a controversy over alleged presence of lead and taste enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the noodles beyond permissible limits.

The order covers over 1,000 army canteens and the complete 13-lakh strong army. "The advisory is effective till further order," an Army official said. Maggi is one of the most consumed food items among Army personnel.

The Union government has referred the Maggi issue to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to take appropriate action, even as more states - Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal - lifted samples for laboratory testing.

Maggi noodles has been at the centre of a controversy after UP Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) tests found higher than stipulated levels of lead and MSG in it.

However, Nestle India claimed it got the samples tested in an external laboratory as well as in-house and that the product was found "safe to eat"

Noodle giant in a soup
Maggi banned in Delhi for 15 days
The sale of Maggi was banned in the national capital for 15 days as the Delhi government found it "unsafe" for consumption due to excessive lead. Announcing the decision, Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain said Nestlé India has been asked to withdraw the existing stock. Jain said the government will carry out laboratory testing of all other noodles brands available in the city and will take action based on the reports.

Stores pull out Maggi stock
Future Group and Consumer cooperative society Kendriya Bhandar have taken Maggi noodles off the shelves from all its stores for the time being. Modern retail outlets like Big Bazaar run by the Future Group contribute a large chunk of sales for FMCG firms, including Nestle. Kendriya Bhandar has around 130 stores in and outside Delhi.

Bachchan may face protest in Odisha
Kalinga Sena, a local political outfit in Odisha, has decided to oppose the proposed visit of Amitabh Bachchan to Odisha scheduled on June 5 in the wake of the Maggi controversy. Kalinga Sena is demanding an apology from the actor for his advertisement to promote Maggi noodles. "The activists of Kalinga Sena would stage demonstration against Bachchan from the airport to his proposed meeting venue in the city," said Kalinga Sena chief Hemant Rath.