Food watchdog FSSAI to vet Nestle plants

Nestle may have voluntarily pulled out Maggi noodles from the shelves but that does not appear to have appeased the food safety regulators. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is planning to inspect Nestle's manufacturing facilities in India, an official source told TOI.

While FSSAI has asked Nestle to give reasons why the product approval granted to nine variants of Maggi Instant Noodles should not be cancelled, the regulator plans to audit factories of the multinational company in order to ensure that it complies with other regulatory and manufacturing standards, the source said.

When asked about the FSSAI move, a Nestle spokesperson said, “We are always open to audit and inspection of our factories by the authorities. Nestle India factories have FSSC 22000 certification from authorized certification body SGS and FDA officials have regularly visited and inspected our factories in the past.“
Though it is not known which facilities will be inspected by the regulator, products other than Maggi noodles may also be scruti nized. “The inspection will also help us ascertain whether the company is taking corrective measures or not and whether other products are complying to the prescribed standards,“ the official said. The central food regulator in its order issued on Friday asked the company to immediately withdraw and recall all nine variants of the popular snack from all across the country . “Ms Nestle India Private Limited is further called upon to show cause within a period of 15 days rom the date of issue of this communication as to why the product approval granted by FSSAI in respect of “Instant Noodles with Tastemaker ­ (9 variants)“ vide its letter dated 04.07.2013 be not withdrawn,“ the order said.Through the order, FSSAI has also asked Nestle to ascertain that all its products are in compliance with the food safety standards as per law.

Nestle manufactures Maggi from five different factories spread across Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. It also exports to some countries from India. In total, Nestle has eight manufacturing facilities in India. According to Nestle India's website, the company's leading brands are classified into four different categories: milk products and nutrition; beverages; prepared dishes and cooking aids; and chocolates and confectionery . FSSAI will do the inspection in coordination with states where these plants are located, the official said.

Of late, FSSAI has become stricter in matters of food quality and standards, mainly in case of packaged food. Following Maggi, it has also written to other companies such as Heinz and Kellogg with queries seeking clarifications on some of their products. FSSAI has also asked state regulators to do regular sampling and keep a close watch on products that are widely available in the market.