News
Noodles under scrutiny for excessive MSG
View(s):Two State bodies have been given samples of the popular instant Nestlé’s Maggi Noodles to ascertain if they held excessive Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) as is the case in neighbouring India, senior officials said yesterday. CAA Director Chandrika Thilakaratne told the Sunday Times that several different samples of the product have already been sent to the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI), Industrial Technology Institute (ITI) and Government Analyst’s Department for a thorough examination before a decision could be taken.
“I cannot make any prediction without a finalised report from the experts and everything depends thereafter,” CAA Chairman Rumy Marzook told the Sunday Times. He added although it caused a huge issue in India there are no indications as yet, that the local product has been affected in any way.
“However if any of the local samples indicate an overdose of the MSG agent or found to be outdated the product will be ordered to be taken off the shelves immediately,” Mr. Marzook added.
Health Ministry Food Control Administration Unit Assistant Director H. Thilakaratna said that the adequate limit of lead reach should be between 0.01 parts per million (PPM) and 2.5 (PPM). MSG is a “The taste that kills” and it is commonly used as a flavor enhancer for Chinese food, canned soups, meats, soy sauce and salad dressings he said.
“Too much consumption of MSG can cause adverse reactions such as migraine headaches, nausea, skin rashes and it may also damage the heart and may result in sudden death especially in young athletes,” he said. However Nestlé’s the company that produces the product in Sri Lanka said in a statement, “The quality and the safety of our products is the top priority of the company. Maggi Noodles are sold in Sri Lanka for over 30 years and produced locally at the factory in Pannala and Kurunegala according to the food laws and regulations applicable for Sri Lanka.
“Regular monitoring takes place of our products for safety as a part of our stringent quality control processes, including testing by accredited laboratories. “These tests have consistently shown that Maggi Noodles to be compliant with all food safety norms and safe for consumption by the entire family.”
Meanwhile the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) in Uttar Pradesh in India said that there was a surplus amount of MSG found in two dozen packets.
Officials of FDA said that all the packets they tested were adulterated and the sale of such products had been stopped with immediate effect.
The Indian samples also revealed lead nearly seven times more than the legitimate level.