Nestle is having to destroy its stock of instant noodles worth £32million
A batch of instant noodles worth more than £32m is being destroyed by Nestle, in what could be a major blow to the company's reputation across India.
Maggi noodles, the brand's fastest-selling product, were ordered off shop shelves a fortnight ago after government tests revealed some packets contained unsafe levels of lead.
Although Nestle insists the noodles are safe to eat, a massive operation is under way to collect tainted stock from factories and shops across the country.
Before the contamination scandal took hold, Maggi had an 80% share of the instant noodles market - and it had been named as one of India's five most-trusted brands.
But at the start of June, safety officials in Delhi discovered the product had 17.2 parts per million of lead.
Accepted limits in the country are between 0.01 and 2.5 parts per million.
Consuming excessive amounts of lead can lead to bones, the nervous system and kidneys becoming damaged - and it has been linked to learning disorders in children.
Also found inside the products were elevated levels of MSG, a flavour enhancer which was not included in the list of ingredients.
When the food scare began, Nestle claimed tests performed on 125 million packets of Maggi noodles proved that they were compliant with food safety standards.
Since its launch in the 1980s, Maggi has become popular with students in schools and universities across India, generating sales of £157m each year.
Nestle India is currently challenging the ban imposed by India's food safety regulator.
They are on sale in the UK as well.
A batch of instant noodles worth more than £32m is being destroyed by Nestle, in what could be a major blow to the company's reputation across India.
Maggi noodles, the brand's fastest-selling product, were ordered off shop shelves a fortnight ago after government tests revealed some packets contained unsafe levels of lead.
Although Nestle insists the noodles are safe to eat, a massive operation is under way to collect tainted stock from factories and shops across the country.
Before the contamination scandal took hold, Maggi had an 80% share of the instant noodles market - and it had been named as one of India's five most-trusted brands.
But at the start of June, safety officials in Delhi discovered the product had 17.2 parts per million of lead.
Accepted limits in the country are between 0.01 and 2.5 parts per million.
Consuming excessive amounts of lead can lead to bones, the nervous system and kidneys becoming damaged - and it has been linked to learning disorders in children.
Also found inside the products were elevated levels of MSG, a flavour enhancer which was not included in the list of ingredients.
When the food scare began, Nestle claimed tests performed on 125 million packets of Maggi noodles proved that they were compliant with food safety standards.
Since its launch in the 1980s, Maggi has become popular with students in schools and universities across India, generating sales of £157m each year.
Nestle India is currently challenging the ban imposed by India's food safety regulator.
They are on sale in the UK as well.
