Bangladesh gives Maggi noodles clean chit

Dhaka, June 2: Bangladesh's food testing authority has found no ingredients above harmful levels in five brands of noodles, including Nestle's Maggi.

"We have tested noodles of five companies including Maggi," Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI)'s certification wing director, Kamal Prasad Das said on Tuesday.

"We did not find any ingredients in them above harmful levels."

The other four brands tested are New Zealand Dairy's 'Doodles', Kallol Thai Food's 'Mama', Ifad Multi Product's 'Ifad Eggy' and 'Mister' marketed by Pran Group, bdnews24.com reported.

BSTI Assistant Director Golam Baqui had earlier said the products were tested "regularly" in Bangladesh, but this test was initiated after "dangerous levels of lead" were found in instant noodles manufactured by Nestle in India.

Many Indian states have stopped marketing of Maggi and subjected them to fresh tests after allegations that they contained dangerous levels of lead and flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Food safety inspectors in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh sued Nestle on Monday.

At the end of April, the state's Food and Drug Administration recalled 200,000 packs of noodles, after a spot check pointed to higher than normal levels of MSG and of lead 17 times above the permissible limit.

Food Safety Standards Authority of India has taken up the case and said they have ordered collection of samples from all over the country for more testing.

IANS