Nestle India, which is facing a fresh controversy over its pasta products after Maggi noodles, on
Saturday questioned the validity of lab test done by the Uttar Pradesh government saying it was neither “National Accreditation Board For Testing And Calibration Laboratories (NABL)-accredited” nor “notified by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)”. Reiterating that its MAGGI Pazzta is 100 per cent safe, Nestle India said that Lucknow-based National Foods Analysis Laboratory and its reports can not be relied upon.
“The media reports also mention that the tests have been conducted at National Foods Analysis Laboratory, Lucknow. The laboratory is not National Accreditation Board For Testing And Calibration
Laboratories-accredited nor is notified by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. The results of the laboratories which are not accredited cannot be relied upon,” said a Nestle India spokesperson.
The company further added that it came to know about the alleged presence of lead in its pasta through media reports only, and it is investigating these claims. “We have not received any formal notification from the authorities in Uttar Pradesh or from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India about such test results,” he said adding: “We will work with the authorities to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”
On Friday, a Uttar Pradesh state government official has claimed that they had found presence of lead in Nestle’s Pazzta beyond permissible limits. Pasta samples collected from Nestle distributor — Sriji Traders — at Mau district in the state on June 10, were sent to a government food testing laboratory in Lucknow, designated Officer at Food and Drug Administration Mau Arvind Yadav said on Friday.
“According to report received on September 2, they failed the tests,” he added. “The standard limit is 2.5 PPM (parts per million) while it has been found to be 6 PPM. The letter informing Nestle company sent at its Modinagar address has come back here undelivered,” Yadav said.
As per the company’s website, Nestle sells pasta under its brand Maggi Pazzta in four flavours — Masala Penne, Cheese Macaroni, Mushroom Penne and Tomato Twist.