ITC denies receiving notice from Uttar Pradesh government on excess lead in Yippee noodles

KOLKATA: ITC Ltd has not received any communication from the Uttar Pradesh government regarding presence of higher lead in its Yippee instant noodles and pasta, the company has told the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The ITC statement is in response to clarifications sought by the exchange about reports that authorities in UP have found excess lead in Yippee noodles and pasta.

"We write to advise that the company has not received any communication from the UP government on this issue," ITC said in its statement posted on BSE website. "Stories such as this can be misleading and only help create suspicion and mistrust in the minds of the consumer. This will not only damage the brand but also severely impact industry as a whole and future investment for the economy."

Recently, ITC carried out tests of more than 700 samples of Sunfeast Yippee noodles, both internally and externally, at NABL-accredited and FSSAI-approved laboratories in India and laboratories in Italy, Singapore and Japan, a company spokesperson told ET. The tests showed that lead content in the samples was either not detected or was much below the prescribed limits under the food safety regulations, the spokesperson added.

ITC has posted the test results on its website. The company has been airing commercials about the safety of its instant noodles for the past few weeks. It has also invited consumers to visit its factories to see its production standards.

Reports of Yippee noodles and pasta coming under the scanner in UP has come days after the Gujarat government revoked a ban on the sale of these products after the company provided all data on the safety measures it takes in their production.