Congress defends Bollywood stars on Maggi issue

Jamshedpur: Congress today defended the Bollywood stars for endorsing Nestle company's product Maggi, stating that the actors endorsed the product probably due to lack of  knowledge about the presence of the lead content in it.

"Action should be taken against the Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta, had they endorsed the Nestle product knowing the presence of lead content and MSG more than the prescribed level," AICC spokesman Dr. Ajoy Kumar said.

Addressing a press conference here, Kumar said, "The actors lacked knowledge about the presence of the hazardous ingredients while endorsing Maggi. If they endorsed the product unknowingly about the level of lead content, the TV channels and news dailies should also be punished for promoting the product."

Kumar, however, admitted that presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG) more than the prescribed level was harmful to health. Meanwhile, several states have banned sale of Maggi following the detection of MSG and lead content more than the prescribed level in the country.