Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday imposed a one-month ban on sale of Maggi products in the state following reports of presence of non-permissible contents of lead and MSG in them.
“All the district magistrates in the state have been asked to impose complete ban on the sale of Maggi products in the State,” Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD), Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference here.
He said that Nestle India, the manufacturers of the Maggi products, has been directed to withdraw all the stocks from the markets of Jammu and Kashmir. Soon after the announcement, the food safety authorities initiated action to ensure the products are withdrawn from the market immediately.
Hilal Ahmed Mir, Srinagar’s Food Safety Assistant Controller, said a notice has been served on Jammu-based Malhotra Brothers, the major distributors for Nestle’s Maggi noodles in Srinagar, asking them to recollect the Maggi stock from the market.
Zulfkar Ali said the CAPD has conveyed these directions to all the concerned through a government order issued on Thursday. The ban, he said, will remain in force for one month “or till the test report of sampling to be conducted by concerned government departments and agencies is received.”
He said that five samples of Maggi products have been lifted from Srinagar for testing and sent to Central Testing Laboratory, Kolkatta. Official statistics say in Jammu as many as 1,27,010 Maggi packets have been seized by the officials of the CA&PD and Legal Metrology Departments.
