The United Kingdom’s food safety regulatory agency has stated that Nestlé’s Maggi noodles do not contain excess lead and are safe to consume. “The FSA can confirm that results from testing samples of Maggi noodles in the UK have all found that levels of lead in the product [are] well within EU permissible levels and would not be a concern to consumers,” the Food Standards Agency announced on Wednesday. FSA officials said that they collected about 900 samples of the Maggi 2-Minute Noodles, including one variant imported from India, and found lead levels to be within allowable limits. FSA also analyzed test results conducted by Nestlé itself. “We have carried out extensive tests of our MAGGI Noodles in India, in addition to our regular testing of the finished product and raw materials, which is why we are saying the products are safe for consumption,” the company stated on its website. India recently banned Maggi instant noodles because of excessive lead levels reportedly found in some samples tested by authorities there and because of undeclared monosodium glutamate in the product. Nestlé was ordered by Indian authorities to pull thousands of noodle packets from retail shelves, but the company decided just before the ban was announced to recall and destroy some 400 million noodle packets. The process was expected to take months and cost Nestlé $50 million in sales. A high court in Bombay just allowed Nestlé to keep exporting the noodles to Canada and the UK. Nestlé does not import, market or distribute Maggi noodles in the U.S., although some retailers or importers in this country may carry them. Nestlé, which was founded in Switzerland in 1866, has had operations in India since 1961 and currently operates eight manufacturing facilities and four branch offices there.

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