UK food safety regulator says lead in Maggi within permissible limit

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has given market approval to Nestle’s Maggi noodles after it was banned in India for containing excess lead.

The agency said that after testing around 900 samples from Nestlé, local authorities and port authorities they found lead content in the noodles to be well within the level permitted by the European Union (EU), and that it would not be a matter of concern for consumers.

The product, which was hugely popular in India, faced a mass recall in the country in June after spot checks in the state of Uttar Pradesh found elevated levels of monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer, at almost seven times more than the permissible limit.

Following the revelation and numerous other tests, Nestle was asked to recall all variants of Maggi noodles. The company had to destroy a total of 27,420t of the product, which cost more than $50m.

After the recall of the product in India, the UK FSA decided to test a selection of Maggi noodles as a precautionary measure.

FSA said in a statement: "Nestlé informed the FSA that the only variety of Maggi noodles they import into the UK from India is the ‘masala flavour.’ The FSA has now tested this flavour and others from the Maggi noodles range, as a precaution.

"As well as tests carried out by local authorities, the FSA has also asked Nestlé to provide it with test results from its own samples. All showed levels of lead to be well within EU permissible levels."

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Image: India had banned Nestle’s Maggi in several states due to excess lead content. Photo: courtesy of Food Standards Agency/ Crown Copyright.