Food scientists caution against passing 2-minute judgement on Maggi

Food scientists believe the raging controversy over Maggi noodles is unwarranted According to them it would be jumping the gun if one were to label the popular food product lsquounsafersquo even before the results of the final tests are in They have also pointed out a number of grey areas in the Food and Drug Administration FDA investigatorsrsquo testsAlso Read Maggi noodles The entire controversy explainedNestle claimed they do not add MSG to Maggi noodles and this is stated on the product as well PicAFPMaggi noodles have been at the centre of an everincreasing storm after the Uttar Pradesh UP FDA officials initiated a recall in April of a batch of the product manufactured in February 2014 mdash which was tested the same month mdash after allegedly finding higher than permitted levels of monosodium glutamate MSG a taste enhancer and leadDr Uday Annapure who is a former president of the Association of Food Scientists and Technologists of Indiarsquos Mumbai chapter asserted that the FDA officials in UP shouldrsquove alerted the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India FSSAI immediately when they had seized the Maggi noodles packets and subsequently found discrepancies in the laboratory reports He added that this promptness couldrsquove helped collect samples from all over the country The delay on part of the UP FDA meant such packets with discrepancies wouldrsquove either expired or gone off shelvesAlso Read Shiv Sena supports Bollywood celebrities who endorsed MaggildquoThe delay of over one and a half year February 2014 to May 2015 has left no samples for further testing since the fresh samples of noodles may or may not give results to prove any discrepanciesrdquo Dr Annapure told middayS Anoop assistant director enforcement FSSAI Delhi confirmed that the UP FDA had not informed them about the issue ldquoWe were not kept informed about the findings by FDA UP either then February 2014 nor now after the latest test reports have come It is only after the media started reporting about the issue that FSSAI has sent directives to all the state FDAs to carry out inspection of the samples Had we been informed early we could have taken similar action then and could have got the stocks for testing thenrdquo he told middayAsked if any explanation would be sought for this lapse the officer replied in the affirmative stating that the point would be raised in the nationallevel meetings which are attended by state FDA commissionersAlso Read Maggi Noodles land Preity Zinta in soupDr Annapure believes other brands should also be subjected to the same scrutiny ldquoIf the authorities FDAFSSAI were serious enough and were actually concerned of public safety at large noodle samples of all brands from across the country should have been taken and tested This did not happenrdquo he saidAccording to him it is also important to find out the methodology used to ascertain the levels of heavy metals by the testing laboratory ldquoWe do not have any scientific database available in India to determine the permissible limits of heavy metals in the raw materials used in food processing industriesrdquo he saidMaggi noodles fall under Nestleacutersquos prepared dishes and cooking aids category of products According to the companyrsquos annual report in the year 2014 the conglomerate clocked gross sales of Rs 2900 crore in this categoryNo negative reports on Maggi StateThe state government has said there have been no negative reports about the 810 Maggi samples tested so far Food and Civil Supplies Minister Girish Bapat said ldquoWersquoll take necessary action against Nestleacute if something is found amiss The probe into alleged lapses of food safety standards has already been expanded to test Maggi noodles samples from across the countryrdquo