Uttarakhand became the latest state to ban Maggi noodles after Delhi while two more states will take a decision on Thursday, deepening a crisis for manufacturer Nestle India amid mounting food-safety fears across the nation.

Uttarakhand’s decision came after the Delhi government banned the popular noodles brand for 15 days on Wednesday, sending Nestle India’s shares crashing at the benchmark Bombay Stock Exchange.

The debate over the popular noodles brand in the country – which has drawn in Bollywood stars into the controversy -- broke after food safety inspectors in Uttar Pradesh ordered recall of a 200,000-pack batch of noodles following spot checks which showed elevated levels of monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer, and lead 17 times above the permissible limit.

PTI quoted Uttarakhand principal secretary health Om Prakash as saying that the decision to ban the sale of Maggi was taken on Wednesday night in public interest.

“We are informing all the 13 districts about the decision (to ban) Maggi. We are also sending them a formal order today,” BR Tamta, joint commissioner, Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) told Hindustan Times on Thursday.
Though officials yet to get results of laboratory tests on fresh Maggi samples,  Tamta said “a sample collected early this year from Pauri was found to contain (high) MSG and lead contents”.

Jharkhand and Gujarat are also likely to take a decision on Thursday whether to ban Maggi while Maharashtra has put off its decision to Friday after collecting fresh samples from several cities for laboratory tests.

The health ministers of the two BJP-ruled states had said on Wednesday that results of laboratory test on Maggi samples are expected by Thursday and decisions would be taken as soon as they are analysed.

According to medical experts, excessive intake of lead can cause damage to the kidneys, bones and nervous system. It is particularly harmful to children and can cause learning disorders. MSG, on the other hand, can damage the nervous system with long-term use.

The UP food safety and drug administration (FSDA) last week filed a criminal complaint against Nestle India besides dragging actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta separately for promoting the ‘two-minute’ noodles brand.

The Indian Army also issued an advisory on Wednesday asking its personnel not to consume Maggi noodles and directed military canteens to set aside the existing stock of the popular snack until further orders.

The order covers over 1000 army canteens and the complete 13-lakh strong army.

“The advisory is effective till further order,” an army official said.

Several states have either ordered the withdrawal of the popular snack from shops or ordered the testing of samples, prior to taking action against Nestle, whose shares slumped over 10% amid widespread panic over safety standards.

The benchmark Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has asked Nestle to clarify reports on Maggi samples failing safety test in Delhi.

The Delhi ban announced during market hours on Wednesday led to a 9% drop in Nestle India shares on the BSE, extending the fall to 11.7% since the UP government’s recall of Maggi packs.

Nestle India said it has not received any order from central or state authorities for recall of Maggi noodles.