Maggi Instant Noodles, Monster Energy Drink, Cloud 9 Energy Drink, Tzinga Energy Drink and Akoaroma Flavoured Water are among food products manufactured by MNCs for which the food regulator has ordered recall and/ or withdrawn the provisional ‘No Objection Certificates’, according to Health Minister J P Nadda.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Nadda said the action was taken because provisions of the FSS Act or Regulations thereunder were violated.
The Minister said besides these, safety standards of around 365 categories of food products have been notified, adding that these standards are enforced by the Food Safety Departments of the States/Union Territories (UTs). “However, details in this regard are not maintained centrally,” he said.
Nadda informed the House that “as per reports from the States/UTs, samples of Nestlé’s Maggi noodles have been found to be containing more than the permissible limit of 2.5 ppm of lead. The samples have also been found to be violating the labelling requirements as far as presence of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is concerned.”
T he FSSAI issued an order dated June 5, 2015, directing Nestle India Ltd to withdraw and recall their products from the market. Further, a show-cause notice has been issued to the company, giving 15 days’ time as to why product approvals granted in respect of nine variants of Maggi noodles should not be withdrawn, he said.
However, Nadda said no report has been received by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) indicating the presence of detergent in Mother Dairy’s milk samples.
The Minister said implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, primarily rests with the State/UT governments. “Samples of food items will continue to be drawn by the State Food Safety Officers and sent to the laboratories authorised by the FSSAI for analysis. In cases where samples are found to be not conforming to the provisions of the Act, the Rules and Regulations made there under, action as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and regulations 2011, will be taken,” he added.
National Centres for the Elderly
Administrative approval has been issued to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and Madras Medical College (MMC) Chennai, for setting up of National Centres of Ageing during the remaining period of the 12th Plan, Nadda said in reply to another question.