Amitabh to ‘cooperate’ as Maggi row widens

Amitabh Bachchan has been dragged into the Maggi noodles controversy because of his earlier association with the brand.
The megastar says though he is yet to receive any legal notice, he will extend his help for smooth legal proceedings, adding that he stopped being the face of the brand two years ago.
“I haven’t received any notice yet. As soon as I will get it I will put it up to my lawyers. We will fully cooperate with whatever the law says,” the 72-year-old said at an event here on Wednesday.
”I also want to add that I stopped endorsing Maggi two years ago. I don’t endorse it anymore. I haven’t been associated with the product anymore,” he added.
The cine icon opened up about the controversy at the launch of the second teaser of his upcoming film “Wazir”. Multi-talented Farhan Akhtar was also present at the event.
Other Bollywood celebrities like Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta have also landed into legal trouble for endorsing Maggi noodles.
A case has been registered against Nestle India in a local court in Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh by food regulator FSDA (Food Safety and Drug Administration), after they found monosodium glutamate or MSG and lead in excess of the prescribed limit in Maggi samples they tested.
The Delhi government on Wednesday banned Maggi noodles for 15 days, after samples of the noodles were found to contain more than the permissible quantity of lead.
Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the government has asked Maggi producer Nestle to recall all stocks of the noodle brand from the national capital.
”We have asked Nestle to take back all stocks of Maggi noodles from every store in the city. We are putting a 15-day ban on sale of Maggi noodles in the national capital. The ban will be in force from today (Wednesday) itself,” Jain told media persons.
He said the ban was imposed as samples of Maggi noodles were found to contain more than the permissible quantity of lead—which is 2.5 parts per million (ppm). “Ten samples out of 13 were found unsafe after tests,” he said.
Jain said some officials from Nestle met him and gave their explanation on the issue.
”They said the lead content in Maggi was within the permissible limit which we (Delhi government) did not find satisfactory and decided to ban its sale in Delhi for 15 days,” the health minister said.
”Five samples of masala (taste-maker) were also found to contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) without proper label declaration which falls under the category of misbranding,” he said.
Jain said that after 15 days, the city government would reassess the quality of Maggi noodles and would allow it to be sold in the city only if it is found satisfactory, pure and in accordance with the norms. He said samples of noodles of other brands will also be sent for tests.
”We have issued orders for checking samples of noodles of other brands also. The samples of Maggi noodles were tested in laboratories of the Delhi government.”
On whether action will be taken against Nestle officials, he said: “We will work according to the food adulteration law and will initiate a case in this connection.”
The detailed and final report of the test/analysis was awaited and the government will decide on further action once it is received, he said. ”We will not tolerate any kind of adulteration in food items. We will take strict action against the adulterators,” Jain added.