More trouble for Nestle: Maggi from India banned in Bahrain, under scanner in Canada

Trouble seems to be mounting for Nestle’s Maggi globally too with Bahrain and Canada moving against the product.

Bahrain has temporarily banned the import and sale of Nestle’s Maggi noodles from India, amid reports that the level of lead content in the popular instant snack in India was found to be above permissible limit. Meanwhile, Canadian Food Inspection Authority (CFIA) has started an investigation into the imports of Maggi noodles into the country.

Bahrain’s move follows a Health Ministry-ordered seizure of hundreds of packets of Maggi noodles, which reportedly found their way onto shop shelves in Bahrain through local traders.

“The Health Ministry has now ordered heightened vigilance at the country’s ports to ensure that no more of the Indian-manufactured noodles enter Bahrain,” Maryam Al Jalahma, primary care and public health assistant under-secretary was quoted as saying by Gulf Daily News.

“Action was immediately taken by health inspectors to withdraw Indian-origin Maggi noodles from shops. We collected close to 360 packets during random inspections conducted in various stores across the country.

“It was found that the products were imported directly from India or from other neighbouring regional markets in small quantities before the health scare,” she said.

“Shopkeepers and retailers cannot import the Indian noodles as we have now notified inspectors at the ports to ban their entrance into the country,” she said.

A statement by the Health Canada, meanwhile, said it may issue a recall if the imported Maggi brand noodles are found to have discrepancies.

“The CFIA is aware of the recent incident in India involving Maggi brand noodles, including Nestle’s removal of products from the Indian marketplace.

“The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation for the possible presence of lead in Maggi brand noodle products imported into Canada by various firms. If affected products are identified as part of the Agency’s ongoing investigation, a food recall warning will be issued,” the Canadian health regulator said in a statement.

The CFIA takes food safety concerns very seriously. More information will be shared with the public as it becomes available, it added.

The moves by Bahrain and Canada come after Maggi noodles, a popular brand of noodle manufactured in India, was banned in different Indian states after a high level of lead along with excessive amounts of taste enhancer such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) were detected in the noodle.

Lead content in 14 of 27 samples in India was found to be 2.8 PPM to 5 PPM (particle per million), which is above the prescribed limit of 2.5 PPM. Presence of excess lead is harmful for health.

States that have banned the product in India include Delhi, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa.

Cracking down on Swiss giant Nestle, central health regulator FSSAI on Friday banned all variants of Maggi noodles terming them as “unsafe and hazardous” for human consumption.

PTI