After maggi, more brands come under FSSAI scanner

NEW DELHI:In the aftermath of the Maggi controversy, the central food regulator has ordered testing of instant noodles, pasta and macaroni brands of seven companies including ITC, GSK Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH) and Nestle India, and declared brands made by all other companies as illegal.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday asked all state food regulators to ensure that all the ‘illegal’ products in these fast food categories are “recalled, removed from the market, and destroyed”.

It also asked them to carry out safety tests on products of Nestle, ITC, Indo Nissin Food, GSKCH, CG Foods India, Ruchi International and AA Nutrition. The regulator said only these products are registered with it and have got its approval.

“The safety of all other such products in these categories has not been assessed as per the product approval procedures. As such, the same are unauthorised and illegal and cannot be intended for human consumption,” FSSAI chief executive YS Malik said in a letter to the commissioners of food safety in all states.

The approved list doesn’t include some known noodles brands such as Smith and Jones, Reliance Select Instant Noodles and big retailers’ private labels. Some of these brands are already pulling out their products from the market. Reliance Retail had on Friday said that it is temporarily withdrawing all instant noodle products from its stores all over the country and that includes its own private brand Reliance Select branded instant noodles.

After market leader Maggi failed lead safety test in four states and was subjected to a nation-wide recall last week, the central food regulator has widened the probe to other noodle brands such as Top Ramen, Foodles and Wai Wai.

Various test results on Maggi and some other similar products have raised serious health concerns, FSSAI’s main order said. “In view of the same, it would be advisable to draw regulatory samples for similar products for which product approvals have been granted by the FSSAI,” Malik said in his letter to food safety commissioners.

The products that will be tested include three variants of Wai Wai noodles marketed by CG Foods, Koka instant noodles from Ruchi International, ten variants of Foodles by GSK Consumer Healthcare, nine variants of Nestle's Maggi instant noodles, Indo Nissin Food's Top Ramen Aata Masala, ITC's three variants of Sunfeast Yippee instant noodles and two variants of Yummy brand marketed by AA Nutrition.