Hakka noodles, Knorr soup samples fail test
Bharat Khanna
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, July 16
Fresh samples of Hakka noodles, Maggi pazzta and Knorr sweet corn soup have been found unsafe. Earlier, a number of products of Nestle India Company and Yippee noodles of Sunfeast company were also found unfit for consumption during the tests conducted by the Food Laboratory, Chandigarh.
The samples of Hakka noodles, Knorr sweet corn soup and Maggi pazzta were taken by the Bathinda Health Department on June 24. The reports have been found negative with the presence of high level of Monosodium glutamate (MSG) in Hakka noodles. However, nothing has been mentioned on packets about the presence of the MSG.The samples of ‘Knorr’ and Maggi pazzta were also found unsafe.
The food products were sent for testing by the Bathinda Health Department that took the samples following the controversy regarding Maggi noodles allegedly containing the MSG and high content of lead. However, the samples of Maggi noodles in Bathinda did not found the presence of lead, but the MSG was found in the same.
The reports of samples of Maggi pazzta, Maggi noodles, and Yippee noodles of Sunfeast Company had been found negative earlier in June end. The MSG was found in these products whereas these companies have not mentioned about the MSG content on the labels of these food products. These products included about two samples of pazzta, each of Sunfeast and Bambino companies that were collected for checking the MSG on June 4. Samples of snacks, vanaspati, vegetable oil, and garam masala were also taken.
Besides, samples of Lipton ice tea, orange and lemon squash, and mustard oil were also been collected for testing of which results are awaited.
Food Inspector Amritpal Singh said, “Monosodium glutamatewas found in Maggi and Hakka noodles, Maggi pazzta, and other products whereas these companies failed to mention about the same on their labels. Samples of Knorr soup are also found negative. Earlier too, samples of carbonated water (lemon rake) were collected and they were also found unsafe for drinking with a high content of sodium rand (10 per cent than the permissible level). A sample of Flake (sweetened carbonated water) collected from Lal Singh Basti was found without the nutrition value information on its label.”
A number of states, including Punjab, had banned Maggi products after tests showed the presence of high level of Monosodium glutamate, a synthetic taste enhancer. Maggi is banned for two years in Punjab.
No information on packets
The samples of Hakka noodles, Knorr sweet corn soup and Maggi pazzta were taken by the Bathinda Health Department on June 24. The reports have been found negative with the presence of high level of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in Hakka noodles. However, nothing has been mentioned on packets about the presence of the MSG in these food items.
