Stringent testing of food products is essential
Despite all the brouhaha over health concerns about the popular Maggi noodles of the multinational Nestlé, it is still not definitively clear whether the product is harmful and should be banned across the board. Test results conducted by various States have given different results — some having found in the ‘two-minute' noodles, lead and other content more than the permissible limits, and others saying these are within the mandated amount.
Given the confusion, it is not surprising that many retailers have decided to be cautious and have recalled the product. One has to wait for a final report of the Union Health Ministry. That can happen only after the health authorities get extensive feedback from all stakeholders concerned, including Nestlé India officials, nutritionists and reputed testing laboratories. A knee-jerk reaction by the Union Government is not needed.
But, since there is no denying the concerns that have been raised as a result of the few negative results, the Government has to move fast. After all, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India has found in Delhi that Maggi had lead content which exceeded the permissible limit. The Centre has meanwhile referred the matter to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission since the issue involves the rights of a consumer who may be feeling cheated.
Thus, it is not just the Union Health Ministry but also the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry that is trying to make sense of the hot soup. What is now required is a coordinated effort among the various arms of the Government to bring the controversy to an early closure. If the company is found to have flouted the law, it must be punished appropriately. A delay in taking the right decision will serve nobody’s cause.
Meanwhile, the call to prosecute celebrities who have or had endorsed the product in publicity campaigns, is ill-founded. It is not as if they had done so for a banned item; Maggi has been on sale for years after getting the necessary approvals, though it must be added that more stringent checks ought to have been done. The contracts that the celebrities sign have provisions that mandate the manufacturer to certify to the well-being of the product.
There is not even an ethical issue here — unlike in cases where certain celebrities have refused to endorse fairness creams, for instance. There have also been instances where film stars and sports personalities refused to put their name behind soft drink brands because they considered the products unhealthy. If questions are to be asked, they must be directed at the health authorities who had for years given the clearance to Maggi. If the tests conducted then had been positive for Maggi, how is it that some of the newer tests have given a contrary resultIJ Did Maggi change its compositionIJ
As the controversy dominates newsprint headlines and has become the talking point in television studios, the good that has come out of it is an increased level of awareness among the people about healthy food. There is no doubting that ‘fast food' has replaced a wholesome diet for many individuals — and the flourishing of global fast food chains is proof of that. Changing food habits have adversely impacted health. We must seriously consider these factors.