Poorva Chavan
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Written By: Poorva Chavan | Updated : November 19, 2015 10:38 AM IST
While we are busy celebrating the return of India's favorite instant noodle brand, another new an upcoming instant noodle brand Patanjali has already come under the scanner of the authorities. While most of us woke up to funny WhatsApp forwards that ridiculed Baba Ramdev's instant noodles and with claims the brand did not have approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). According to a report in Zee News, Patanjali's instant noodles has shot back saying that misleading information is being spread and that they have not violated any norms and had the evidence to prove it. Read: Baba Ramdev s Patanjali Atta Noodles to hit markets in November & will cost Rs 15
The brand spokesman in a statement said that all the rules of FSSAI have been followed, and none of their terms have been violated.
FSSAI however, stills holds that Patanjali Noodles has not approached them for approval. But the Patanjali Atta Noodles packet displays an FSSAI license number. According to a report in The Indian Express, FSSAI chairperson Ashish Bahuguna in a statement to the newspaper has said that the product does not have an approval from the agency and that they will be pursuing the matter. The newspaper also reported that when Bahuguna was asked about the license number that was displayed on the packets he said that there is no way a license can be given to a product that has not been approved, and he is unaware how the license was procured.
Do other Patanjali products have the FSSAI approval?
Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Patanjali Food and Herbal Park has the FSSAI license to manufacture a range of products that does not include noodles. The products they can manufacture are a fruit juices, ready to serve fruit beverages, ghee, mustard, coconut oil , salt, asafoetida, biscuit, sattu, oats, cornflakes, poha, soan papdi, jaggery powder, namkeen and papad, gur, whole wheat atta, pulses, sweets and pasta products (macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli).
The report in the Indian Express also said that FSSAI sources had clarified that noodles cannot be treated as part of the pasta group as per the food safety act, and the Patanjali Atta Noodles comes with a masala mix.
So, is Patanjali's license fake? And if it is, what will be next course of action? Will the noodles be banned like Nestle's Maggi noodles? However, the FSSAI cannot take any action until the noodles are being sold in the market.
Image source: YouTube.com/ DD News
