It is more about

Maggi Noodles may be in the dog house in India, but the bigger issue in Sri Lanka is the widespread use of monosodium glutamate in food items

Is Maggi Noodles, the near ubiquitous go-to two-minute hunger buster, safe to eat? Or is it not? This is the question to which everyone is demanding answers for these days.

As parents, grandparents, primary school children and adolescents wait for a final ruling from the health and food authorities, the product continues to be banned in several states in neighbouring India, after the country's researchers, following extensive tests, found that everyone's favourite noodle packets contained excessive levels of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

The tests were carried out due to pressure from sections of the Indian public. Lankan food and health authorities meanwhile say they are still mulling the contentious issue and argue that the tests done by the Indian researchers may not be appropriate for the local products.

What they want instead is hard scientific proof from tests of samples carried out here, which are yet to be released.

"Right now we are closely monitoring the situation and collecting as much information as we can.

Till we get results of samples sent for testing to our government approved laboratories, we will not resort to such drastic action as removing the noodle packets from shop shelves.

We need clear, reasonable evidence that they contain something that is injurious to human health," said Acting Director, Environment and Occupational Health, Ministry of Health, Dr H.D.B. Herath .

"There are many issues involved and they are also different from those in India," he claimed, explaining, "Take the packaging for example. In our local products, MSG is packed in separate sachets, which contain a mix of flavouring agents.

When asked about regulations and policy regarding the use of MSG, Dr. Herath said more than regulations the emphasis in Sri Lana was on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

"Most traders and manufacturers of food items are familiar with this as they have attended our regular awareness raising programmes.

"However, we DO have a flavour and flavour enhancer regulation, which was updated in 2011, under the Food Act No26 of 1980," he said explaining that the regulations clearly state that any flavours and enhancers such as MSG used in food for children under three years of age should carry labels clearly indicating the levels used in those products. "It is a legal requirement," he stressed.

When asked whether it was possible for one ministry to ensure traders/manufacturers, adhere to this regulation island wide, he responded with an emphatic "Yes" and explained, "Our network of over 2,000 trained Public Health Inspectors keep track of all packetted food items on a day to day basis and report back to us regularly.

"If they feel there is something wrong with them, they report back to us and we take immediate action determined by the Food Advisory Committee, the main regulatory authority, headed by the Director General of Heath Services, Dr P.G. Mahipala."

Challenge

When questioned about the Health Ministry's biggest challenge, when considering the health impacts of MSG in food, especially on young children, and whether MSG is actually needed for the body, he emphatically responded, "Our body does NOT need MSG for its growth," elaborating that rather than contributing to body growth, MSG can harm the human system over a long period, causing allergies and other serious symptoms.

MSG has however, become a part of the daily ingredient in many households, with people continuing to crave for it because of its flavour enhancing qualities and MSG becoming a must add on condiment from everything from buns, chili fries and fried rice. Isn't there a way of regulating its use in such food?

Problem

Dr. Herath admitted that the biggest problem is that this flavor enhancer is often hidden amidst other ingredients and listed only if labelled as a separate ingredient in the food, even though it may take up a fair share of the ingredients used. "If produced on a mass scale, like bottled sauce or packaged food, it is easy to obtain a sample for testing purposes.

But measuring food that is served directly from the pot to the table in a restaurant is more difficult, as for example fried rice, or Chinese noodles, or some other spicy dish," he explained.

When asked about the options, he said the option was to encourage both the trader and the consumer to switch to gluten free foods.

"We are constantly holding discussions with traders and manufacturers as well as the public to raise awareness to this end. Our goal is gluten free food. We're trying to ensure that in future no one in Sri Lanka eats food containing MSG."

NCDs

When asked if it was not possible, given the high demand for such foods, he said, "Then we must definitely restrict its usage in children's food, so that their taste buds don't get used to it as a habit from early childhood.

If parents can help change their food habits early and switch to more healthy foods, they will not be vulnerable to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) early in life as well".

"Everything is possible. But it takes time. You can't change people's habits overnight".He said as Sri Lanka has an open market, there are many kinds of food manufactured by various companies that consumers can choose from. "My advice is to ensure what they buy is healthy.

MSG only intensifies food flavour. We don't need it. Read the labels carefully and make a wise informed choice," he cautioned.

Awaiting results

Assistant Director Technical Services, Industrial Technology Services ( TS), A.S. Pannila, said he was still awaiting results of tests carried out by their lab. "Testing for lead is straightforward, as we have often tested products for heavy metals.

But testing MSG in trace levels is a challenge.

We can't release any statement unless we have scientific evidence," he said, adding that their lab had not received any request from the Food Authority to do any tests .

"The tests we have done here are on our own initiative."

MSG is harmful to good health

Echoing similar sentiments, Head of Toxicology Information Unit, National Hospital Sri Lanka, Dr Waruna Gunathileka, underscored the serious health impacts of MSG as well as lead, which the Indian researchers claimed were found in their products.

"Lead can damage the bones and neurological system and affect the brain of young children.

If it goes into the blood stream it can affect their liver and cause kidney and liver failure. MSG has similar effects. Apart from carcinogenic effects, it can cause neurological problems, low IQ and severe allergies as well as affect the liver and cause the body system to shut down. Apart from this, studies have shown that it raises pressure since it is a salt, and could cause long term effects such as obesity, stunting, seizures and reproductive problems. The latest evidence suggests a link to diabetes. Children are at highest risk. No child under five years should be given any food containing MSG."

We love Maggi

Walking down the aisles of any supermarket today one is bound to find more than a few food items that contain MSG. The food additive is in soups, salad dressings, processed meats, cheeses and several frozen diet entrees.

A visit to one of these supermarkets is a journey of discovery. Not only are there more than just a handful of foods containing MSG, the management seems blissfully unaware both of the deadly harm it could cause to human health or even point out specific items, which contain the food additive.

Walking down several aisles containing a bewildering array of soups, processed foods, salad dressings, sauces, and flavouring agents, a supermarket manager challenges, " Tell me how can we possibly know how to spot MSG in these foods? Can you? Not unless they have separate labels with MSG written on them".

Informed or not, most consumers find this a futile exercise, since even if a particular item did contain MSG, it would be often labelled in code form, which is just gibberish to the average consumer.

So what makes Maggi Noodles tick? What do Maggi Noodles fans have to say? Are they aware of the health risks expressed by the health officials?

Many housewives with little time to spare, say it is the convenience of cooking a meal in less than two minutes that prompts them to buy the products.

Nicola who has two children aged 5 and 8 says, "As a working woman, cooking a packed meal like rice and curry for my kids means waking up before dawn to cook it. With an instant meal like Maggi Noodles, I can wake up later. The kids can either have their noodles served hot from the fire for breakfast and take sandwiches for lunch at school.

Since they love eating it, it is so much easier to get it down their throats. Even my fussy husband enjoys it. That leaves us all with more time to get our day off to an early start."

Young Sisira, 9, a Maggi Noodles fan, says he's been hooked on Maggi noodles, since the age of four.

"I was fascinated with it after my mother taught me to swirl it around with my fork and eat it like a wriggling worm. I eat it plain only mixing it with the flavour from the sachet."

Asked if she knew about the health impacts of eating these Noodles, 14 year old Rasika says, "Our teachers at school have repeatedly warned us against eating it.

It is even banned in our school canteen. But I insist on Maggi Noodles for dinner at least three times a week. So my mother buys me a few packets. I eat my noodles with tomato sauce (no veggies.) and lots of the spicy mix in the sachets.

Svendrini 16, believes she deserves to treat herself to food she likes after a hard day of study. "Whatever the health impacts, Maggi Noodles is my favourite food," she says.

As for her boyfriend Shiraz, a plateful of Maggi Noodles drenched in tomato sauce, hot chili sauce with a liberal sprinkling of MSG, is " food fit for gods".

What do our readers think?

Email your opinions to: features@ sundayobserver.lk

MAGGI Noodles in Sri Lanka

Statement from Nestlé Lanka PLC:

The quality and safety of our products is the top priority for the company.

Glutamate is naturally present in ingredients such as onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and wheat flour, among many others. Monosodium Glutamate is a permitted flavour enhancer.

MAGGI Noodles is in compliance with the local regulatory framework.

MAGGI Noodles is locally produced at our factory in Pannala, Kurunegala, maintaining all the food laws and regulations applicable for Sri Lanka, winning the trust of consumers for 30 years.

We regularly monitor our products and raw materials for food safety as part of our stringent quality control processes, including testing by accredited laboratories. These tests have consistently shown MAGGI Noodles to be compliant with all food safety norms and is safe for consumption by the entire family.