Maggi effect: new regulations for noodles in the offing

In the wake of the Maggi controversy, food safety regulator FSSAI is working on new regulations for quality standards of instant noodles to better regulate the quality of the taste-maker and other ingredients.

The new regulations by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are aimed at bringing in more clarity in quality standards, sources said.

This will be the first time that FSSAI would come up with quality standards specifically for instant noodles. So far, there has been one common standard for various kinds of ready-to-cook products, including noodles.

The new norms will clearly set the permissible limits of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and ash content and also state the specific standards for taste maker, a key ingredient in instant noodles, sources said. Earlier on April 1, the FSSAI had asked State authorities to launch proceedings against only those noodle or pasta companies that add taste-enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) in their products despite carrying ‘No MSG’ or ‘No added MSG’ label on the packets.

Glutamate is naturally found in food such as milk, spices, wheat, vegetables, etc. Presently, there is no analytical method to determine whether MSG was added to the product during manufacturing or it was naturally present in the product. This can, however, be checked through inspection of manufacturing premises. In June last year, FSSAI had banned Nestle’s Maggi noodles over allegations of high lead content and presence of MSG. — PTI