New Delhi, June 3 (IANS): With consumers wary of Maggi noodles, the sale of the popular snack which has been a part of the Indian palate for over 25 years has taken a hit, with chains like Big Bazaar removing it from their shelves.
“In the interest of consumer sentiment and concerns we have taken Maggi noodles off the shelves from all our stores for the time being. We will wait for more clarity from authorities to take any further course of action,” spokesperson, Future Group (Big Bazaar), told IANS.
IANS observed that Big Bazaar has not only taken Maggi noodles off the shelves but also the Sunfeast YiPPee, Chaudhary Group's Wai Wai noodles and Nissin's Top Ramen noodles. This might be in the wake of Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain's statement that samples of other noodles will also be tested.
While Nestle continued to maintain that its product was "safe" for consumption, reports of its samples testing positive for higher-than-permissible levels of some substances has created concern.
"It was a quick fix snack for my kids, especially when they were very hungry after school but now I cannot compromise with their health," Rameshwari Devi, a homemaker in Noida, told IANS.
The developments have also come as a rude shock to hostellers for whom Maggi noodles were almost a readymade food, especially to cherish at odd hours.
"They were the easiest to cook -- very affordable for us. We have to now search for alternatives if they aren't safe," said Varun Mithani, a Delhi University hosteller.
According to reports, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala have sent samples of Maggi noodles for testing.
This follows a recall order for a particular batch of the noodle brand by the Uttar Pradesh Food and Drugs Authority in April this year, after allegations that its samples were found to have higher-than-permissible levels of lead.
Amid such concerns, Nestle again sought to clear the air, saying they were officially unaware of any action by state governments, save the directive from Uttar Pradesh to withdraw the batch of February 2014 -- which had already passed the "best before" date.
"We have not received any official communication from the authorities so far," Nestle said on Wednesday, adding: "We are cooperating with the authorities who are conducting tests and awaiting their results."
Nonetheless, the concerns hit sales.
Speaking to IANS, distributors and shopkeepers selling Maggi noodles in the National Capital Territory region said sales dipped over the past week.
"I used to supply 1,00,000 packets of Maggi noodles every day to shops in and around Noida. But we have completely stopped supplies since the past three days," said B.K. Mishra, a distributor.
"For us, 80 percent of noodles sales were from Maggi alone. But now no one buys them. So, we are returning the stocks," added Akshay Kumar, who owns a grocery shop in New Delhi.
Another shopkeeper Ram Prasad said just 10 packets were left at his store and he would not stock Maggi until it was declared safe for consumption.
Even in areas around offices where makeshift shops sell Maggi noodles and Pasta, the sales have taken a hit.
"Customers don't take even two minutes before stopping to eat a product if they feel it is not good for health," said Suresh Sharma, a vendor, drawing from how Nestle has been advertising its popular brand: "Two Minute Noodles."