Maggi controversy: States ordered to test all variants

FSSAI has also stated that celebrities endorsing the brand can be held accountable and face upto Rs 10 lakh as fine.

According to reports, results of the tests have to be submitted by June 5.

Meanwhile, two top officials from Nestle India met with Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Kumar Jain and other senior officials of the Delhi government after they were summoned by the government.

Emerging from the meeting one of the officers said that they have submitted their representation and the Minister will now review it.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in New Delhi has already said that strict action will be taken based on the report and a complaint that has been filed against manufacturer of Maggi Noodles-Nestle India.

It has also decided to initiate a case against Nestle "for sale of an unsafe product" and is also considering a fine for "misbranding."

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan has said that action will be taken if harmful ingredients are found in Maggi which has been embedded in controversy.

This comes after the Delhi government on Tuesday said samples that it tested were found "unsafe".

The Delhi government officials said high lead levels were detected in 10 out of 13 packets of Maggi noodles tested from around the National Capital Region. Five samples contained MSG which is not mentioned in the packaging.

In fact amid a nationwide panic over Maggi Noodles containing harmful ingredients like lead and mono-sodium glutamate or MSG, shares in Nestle dropped nearly 10 per cent in morning trade on Wednesday.

Many other states said they are now testing Maggi, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

Even Kerala has ordered a pullout of Maggi noodles from government-run outlets.

The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation said the ban has been imposed "in the light of reports on the presence of some chemicals which are hazardous to human health."

In Bihar, acting on a petition filed by a lawyer, a court has directed that an FIR be registered against Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta, who have featured in Maggi noodle advertisements.

Earlier, Nestle India had claimed that extensive testing reveals no excess lead in Maggi Noodles.

"We understand that consumers are concerned by reports that the authorities in Uttar Pradesh have found elevated levels of lead in a sample pack of MAGGI Noodles. We are fully cooperating with the authorities who are conducting further tests and we are awaiting their results," the company had said in a statement.

The company had said it has also submitted samples of the noodles from almost 600 product batches to an external laboratory for independent analysis.

"We have also submitted samples of MAGGI Noodles from almost 600 product batches to an external laboratory for independent analysis and we tested samples from almost 1,000 batches at our accredited laboratory," it had said.

"These samples represent around 125 million [12.5 Crore] packets. All the results of these internal and external tests show that lead levels are well within the limits specified by food regulations and that MAGGI noodles are safe to eat. We are sharing these results with the authorities, Nestle India had stated.

"We regularly monitor all our raw material for lead, including testing by accredited laboratories which have consistently shown levels in MAGGI Noodles to be within permissible limits," the company had claimed.

"In addition, we remain committed to continuing to improve the quality of agricultural raw materials across the food chain working with farmers, suppliers, authorities and the food industry to ensure food safety. The quality and safety of our products are the top priorities for our Company," it had added.