Lab contradicts Nestle's claim, says Maggi has MSG

Mono-sodium Glutamate (MSG) has been added to Maggi noodles, according to a laboratory here which tested the samples of the popular snack. This contradicts the claim by Nestle India Ltd, which manufactures the popular snack.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also taken objection to the fact that MSG was added to the product, though the company claimed otherwise.

A report by TÜV SÜD Labs at Peenya here, where the samples were sent for a second opinion, records the presence of 0.053 grams of MSG in Maggi noodles. But U T Khader, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, said there was no specification in the law about the permissible limit of the sodium salt of the glutamic acid. “We have sent the report to the FSSAI and sought clarification. We will take a decision based on that,” he said.

However, lead content in Maggi noodles is within the permissible limits, as per tests conducted by TÜV SÜD Labs. The presence of lead in the popular snack is 0.05 ppm—within the permissible limits (2.5 ppm), the laboratory found.

A previous report by Robust Materials Technology Private Limited also revealed that lead content was well within the permissible limits. The State government had sent the samples to TÜV SÜD Labs for a second opinion.

Still, the government, which has banned the product in Karnataka, doesn’t want to take any chances. A senior official in the department of health and family welfare said the reports would be sent to the Central Food Laboratory in Kolkata for its opinion.