Haryana starts taking Maggi samples for testing

CHANDIGARH: The Health Department officials in Haryana today started lifting samples of Maggi noodles randomly from across the state for laboratory testing amid row over alleged lapses in its food safety standards.

"We have started collecting samples of Maggi noodles from across the State," Haryana's Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr D P Lochan said.

He said that necessary directions had been issued to health officials in all the districts to lift the samples of Maggi noodles.

Later on, these samples will be sent for laboratory tests, Lochan told PTI here.

Yesterday, Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij taking a serious note of reports of alleged lapses of food safety standards in Maggi noodles, had ordered testing of samples of the food product.

Vij had directed the DGHS to get the samples of Maggi noodles tested from all districts. The DGHS had also been directed to take immediate steps on this issue through Civil Surgeons in all districts.

The Health Minister had also said that if lapses in food safety standards are found after the tests, the state government will take neccessay action and ask for withdrawal of all stocks of Maggi noodles from the state.