COLOMBO: The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has instructed the Sri Lanka Customs to stop consignments of rejected Maggi Noodle from India being released to the importers because they are said to contain high levels of Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG).
Maggi Nooodles said to contain high levels of Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG).
The Indian High Commission had requested the CAA to ban the import such noodles to Sri Lanka from India.
“Responding to the written request, CAA Director General J.M.A. Douglas has written to the Customs asking it to prevent any Indian-rejected noodles entering the country for the safety of consumers. Both Singapore and Nepal had already banned the import of Maggi instant noodles from India,” CAA Spokesman Udayajeewa Ekanayake said.
Indian Central government had banned 27,000 tons of Maggi noodles found with MSG and high levels of lead (Pb). The government had directed the relevant company to immediately destroy the banned consignments. –
Earlier, Health Service (DGHS) Director General Palitha Mahipala directed that samples of Maggi Noodles, particularly popular among children and other varieties of noodles be tested at the Industrial Technical Institute (ITI) to determine their lead content.
Dr. Mahipala’s directive comes in the wake of the multinational global food giant in India deciding a fortnight ago to temporarily take the Maggi brand of noodles off the shelves countrywide.
The directive came after several Indian states banned the product which is alleged to contain high levels of lead-making it unsafe for human consumption.
Indian states, including Uttarakhand, New Delhi, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir have either banned the noodles or are conducting further tests to confirm whether the product contains higher than the permissable level of lead. However, the food giant said in a statement that Maggi noodles were “completely safe” and had been a trusted snack in India for more than 30 years.
“The trust of our consumers and the safety of our products is our first priority. “Unfortunately, recent developments and unfounded concerns about the product have led to confusion among the consumers to such an extent that we have decided to withdraw the product off the shelves, despite the product being safe,” the company said in a statement.
The samples Maggi noodles have already been sent to the ITI for tests and other samples will follow.
Dr. Mahipala said the next step would be decided on the receipt of the test report.
