In good news, Maggi noodles are not banned in India any more. However, it does not mean Nestle India can promptly start sales of the beloved snack again. Bombay High Court has ruled that new tests will be required to prove the lead quantity used in the product.
Manufacturer Nestle has been asked to test five samples of its noodles by three accredited labs to prove that the lead amount is within permissible limits. They can start selling Maggi if the tests are in their favour.
On June 5, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India had ordered Nestle India to withdraw all nine variants of Maggi instant noodles from the market terming them “unsafe and hazardous” for human consumption. The ban had an immediate impact on Nestle's profits after it recently posted its first quarterly loss in nearly two decades.
The company had argued in court that the FSSAI, while passing the order, had acted in an “emergent, drastic and arbitrary” fashion while raising doubts over his jurisdiction. It also argued that the food regulator had not served any notice prior to the ban.
