A lawsuit has reportedly been filed against Nestle after food safety authorities said they found levels of lead and MSG in Maggi noodles above permitted levels.

The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) in Uttar Pradesh state claimed high lead levels were found during "routine tests" in two dozen packets of instant noodles. The state authorities also said they found the flavouring MSG, which must be labelled if it is used in production.

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Earlier this month, the FDA ordered the company to recall the batch from stores in the state. At the time, Nestle told just-food that the affected product would already have left stores as the batch was past its sell by date. The group denied its products were contaminated with lead and insisted that it does not use MSG to produce Maggi noodles in India.

"We have in place strict food safety and quality controls at our Maggi factories, including thorough quality checks at each stage of our raw material sourcing and manufacturing process. This includes comprehensive testing to ensure that Maggi noodles comply with all applicable food safety laws, as well as our own high standards of quality and safety before they reach our consumers," a spokesperson for the company said.

However, according to local reports, the FSDA started legal proceedings against Nestle on Saturday (30 May) in the UP court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate. The case has been lodged against the company's Nestle Nagal Kalan Industrial Area unit (Haroli, Una in HP), Delhi-based Nestle India Limited.

The Union Consumer Affairs Ministry has also asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to look into the matter.

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Nestle was not immediately available for comment at time of press.