Maggi Noodles From India are Safe, Says UK"s Food Regulator

London:  Just weeks after India banned Maggi instant noodles, the UK food regulator has declared that the product is safe and does not contain excess lead.

“The Food Safety Agency can confirm that results from testing samples of Maggi Noodles in the UK have all found that levels of lead in the product is well within EU permissible levels and would not be a concern to consumers,” the regulator said in statement.

The agency said that it decided to test Maggi noodles after India ordered manufacturer Nestle to pull thousands of packets from stores.

Similarly, food regulators of other countries including Australia and Singapore have cleared samples of Maggi noodles imported from India.

Earlier this week, the Bombay High Court permitted Nestle to continue exporting the instant noodles to countries including Canada and the UK.  In the US, Nestle does not import, market or distribute Maggi noodles said. Any Maggi noodle products in U.S. stores are sourced by retailers or imported through third parties.  

The withdrawal and destruction of thousands of packets of Maggi in India cost Nestle 320 crores or 45 million dollats, the manufacturer said.  

Nestle withdrew all varieties of Maggi noodles on June 5, hours before the India’s food safety authority (FSSAI) banned the snack, ruling it “unsafe and hazardous”.