Maggi noodles may have to wait longer for its comeback in Jammu and Kashmir as the samples sent for tests to a Kolkata based laboratory has confirmed the presence of lead and MSG, making the authorities apprehensive about lifting the ban on it.
Although many families in the Kashmir valley have already purchased Maggi packets through Snapdeal, an online forum that started selling the noodles soon after the ban on Maggi was reversed by the Bombay High Court. “We were looking for Maggi noodles and we ordered them on snapdeal. We are very thrilled that Maggi is back,” said a fifth standard student Intiqa Zainab.
Nestle India started the sale of Maggi noodles online from Monday and orders poured in from Kashmir. Authorities in J&K said that they were waiting for the government to give them the go ahead to prosecute Maggi manufacturer as the samples which were picked from Srinagar have shown contents of lead. “The tests have shown that the Maggi samples picked from Srinagar contained lead beyond the permissible limits,” a senior official of Consumers Affairs and Public Distribution Department (CAPD) told this newspaper. When asked if the ban would be lifted, he said there was little chance of it in the immediate future.
Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, Srinagar, Hilal Ahmad Mir told the media that Maggi noodles may not be allowed to be sold in J&K and that they were waiting for the government to take the final call.