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Maggi Noodles Are Safe For Consumption: Nestlé CEO

Maggi Noodles Are Safe For Consumption: Nestlé CEO
Indian social activists burn packets of Nestle's Maggi instant noodles during a protest in Kolkata on June 4, 2013. The food and consumer affairs ministry said June 3 that it was concerned over reports that the popular two-minute noodles contained high levels of lead, which can cause hypertension, harm the kidneys and in extreme cases lead to death as the government said it was testing samples from across the country to check if they contained lead in excess. AFP PHOTO/ Dibyangshu Sarkar (Photo credit should read DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images)
DIBYANGSHU SARKAR via Getty Images
Indian social activists burn packets of Nestle's Maggi instant noodles during a protest in Kolkata on June 4, 2013. The food and consumer affairs ministry said June 3 that it was concerned over reports that the popular two-minute noodles contained high levels of lead, which can cause hypertension, harm the kidneys and in extreme cases lead to death as the government said it was testing samples from across the country to check if they contained lead in excess. AFP PHOTO/ Dibyangshu Sarkar (Photo credit should read DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI -- As the ban on Maggi noodles spreads across the nation, Nestlé Global CEO Paul Bulcke arrived in India to alleviate growing fears and anger against the brand which is suspected of selling noodles containing monosodium-glutamate, a taste enhancer, and excess lead.

On Friday, Bulcke said that Nestlé had conducted tests for over a thousand batches of Maggi noodles in the past few days, and over 650 batches had been tested by third-party laboratories.

"Maggi noodles in India are safe for consumption," Bulcke said at a press conference in the capital. "We have same the quality standards everywhere in the world and that applies for Maggi noodles in India."

Bulcke also shot down allegations of MSG being added to the noodles. "We do not add MSG in the Maggi noodles," he said.

Bulcke said that Maggi was being withdrawn from shelves because the faith and trust of the consumers in India has been shaken. "We will do all it takes to clarify with the authorities the situation and to have Maggi noodles back on the shelf as soon as possible," he said.

P. Bulcke "We are taking MAGGI Noodles off the shelves till the situation is clarified"

— Nestlé India (@NestleIndia) June 5, 2015

P. Bulcke "India is important to us. We have been in India for over 100 years, we are a part of India"

— Nestlé India (@NestleIndia) June 5, 2015

This week, several states including Delhi, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Madhya Pradesh banned the sale of Maggi noodles. The central government have asked states, which are conducting tests on the noodles, to report their findings.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.