Dear Editor,
Considering the popularity of the brand, the rancour over Nestlé being ordered by many States to withdraw its Maggi noodles from the market and also to stop further production, processing, import, distribution and sale with immediate effect by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India wouldn’t be misplaced.
With the alleged presence of lead in excess of the permissible level and the misleading label of ‘no added MSG’, the Health Ministry is firm in its opinion that food safety and standards have not been adhered to by Nestlé. Feeding toxic ingredients to millions of people over the years, the ‘Maggi saga’ has exposed India’s failure to put in place an effective mechanism to check adulteration, misrepresentation, prices and contaminants that are causing health hazard in eatables. A scary picture indeed!
Yet, India’s reaction to such perilous issues in the past has not been encouraging. Concerted efforts have never been made to address food adulteration through strict legislation which ensure that the lives of consumers is not endangered; nor was it ever thought necessary to enlighten the consumer of the effects of adulterants on ones health. Rather than filing charges against the celebrities who endorse these products, campaigns to bring about general awareness amongst the people will be more appropriate.
Rajiv Sharma
Akhnoor