Karnataka bans Maggi after Centre’s order

Bengaluru: Karnataka joined 16 other states in imposing a temporary ban on the sale of Maggi noodles after the Union government issued a circular to all the states to ban Maggi till further orders, said Health Minister U.T. Khader.

He told reporters on Saturday that his department has instructed representatives of Nestle, the manufacturer of Maggi, to stop the production and to withdraw the product from the shops immediately.

The health department officials have been told to take strict action against the company if instant noodle packets are not removed from shop floors. He said that since the Central Food Technology and Research Institute in Mysuru refused to test Maggi noodles, samples were sent to a private laboratory in Bengaluru.

“This laboratory has given the test results and stated that lead content in Maggi noodles was within the permissible limit. However, the level of monosodium glutamate or MSG content will be known on Monday. The lab report and the sample will be sent to the CFTRI in Kolkata. We will wait for the report and take action,” he said.

Denying that the government is targeting only Maggi, he said the government will send samples of noodles manufactured by all the other companies too for testing to ascertain whether they were fit for consumption, as “we are concerned about the health of our citizens”, he said.

Unhappy with the decision of CFTRI, Mysuru, Mr Khader said the government-run food laboratory could have carried out the tests considering the gravity of the situation. “But they backed out citing flimsy reason. Our government will write to the Centre and question the CFTRI’s decision, as it is not right for a premier institute to refuse the state’s request,” he said. On the strike by 108 Ambulance staff, he said the government had released salaries for two months and that the employees had withdrawn their strike.