Food: The test results of Maggi noodle samples sent to India and Thailand found that the levels of lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the product are within permissible levels, said the agriculture minister Yeshey Dorji at the meet-the-press session on Friday.

The minister said that the ministry is reviewing when to lift the ban on the sale of the noodle in the country.

“The main reason why we banned the display and sale of the instant noodles is because the Nestle company in India notified the ministry to recall the product from the markets,” said the agriculture minister.

The Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA) temporarily banned the sale of Maggi noodles manufactured by Nestle in India on June 6.

BAFRA had sent about 39 Maggi samples to its reference laboratories in India and Thailand, after Indian media reports of high amounts of lead and MSG being detected in the noodle.

The lack of equipment at BAFRA’s national food testing laboratory in Yusipang in Thimphu prevent the testing of food samples in the country, said lyonpo Yeshey Dorji.

According to media reports, some countries including the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have lifted the ban on Maggi noodles.

However, the Bombay High Court has not lifted the ban on local sales but has allowed Nestle India to export the instant noodles.

By Dechen Tshomo