India's food regulating body today seized 20,000 kilograms of Maggi in Lucknow.
India's food regulating body today seized 20,000 kilograms of Maggi, a popular instant noodles that has been banned, from a warehouse in the outskirts of Uttar Pradesh's capital, Lucknow, according to senior government officials.
The central drug officer of Uttar Pradesh seized the product from a company owned godown in Banthara area, Additional Food Commissioner (Administration) Ram Araj Maurya said.
Nestle India, the manufacturer of Maggi, has clarified that the product is stored at various godowns before being sent to cement factories for high temperature thermal destruction.
In a statement, the company said, said in a statement, "20,000 kg of noodles being mentioned in the media reports is not meant for sale and was awaiting onward transportation to the incineration centre. As part of the recall procedure and standard operating process, Nestle India has been collecting stocks being returned from the market as well as customers, on a regular basis for over two months."
The instant noodles were banned as "unsafe and hazardous for human consumption" by India's food safety regulator in June; Nestle was also accused of violating labelling rules and misleading customers by declaring the noodles do not contain MSG or added mono-sodium glutamate (MSG), a taste enhancer.
In May, food inspectors in Uttar Pradesh said the noodles contained high amounts of lead, resulting in India's most significant food scare in nearly a decade. Nestle was then asked to recall all Maggi packets from shops across the country, even as it insisted its snack is safe.
Nestle has challenged the ban in the Bombay High Court, where a verdict is due soon.