Our government officials are often held up for ridicule, slammed for inefficiency and tardiness. But V.K. Pandey, Food Inspector in the UP Food Safety & Drug Administration, would appear to be remarkably different. The officer who has been diligent with checking foods for safety in his jurisdiction, is the one who had suspect samples of Maggi first tested, unleashing one of the biggest controversies about food safety in recent times.
Image courtesy: jagran.com
A routine check
Food inspectors of the FSDA are expected to monitor foods – whether processed, packaged or sold in restaurants — and ensure they are safe for consumption. In the case of Maggi, it all goes back to a routine check in March 2014, when V.K. Pandey headed a team that collected samples of Maggi noodles from a retailer in Barabanki, near Lucknow. The samples were sent to the Regional Public Analyst Laboratory in Gorakhpur, and tested positive for lead and MSG above acceptable levels.
Tackling Nestle
The FSDA, Barabanki, sent a notice to Maggi manufacturers, Nestle. Pandey has said in an interview, ‘They came and argued with us to cancel the proceedings, but I directed them to come in appeal and face the case.’ Later, Nestle wanted the product to be sent to a referral lab for checking. It was sent to the Kolkata laboratory which, according to Pandey, is one of the best labs in India along with those in Pune, Ghaziabad and Mysore.
Image courtesy: Maggi.in
Pandey was on the right track. The Kolkata laboratory not only confirmed high levels of MSG but also detected high lead content in the Maggi samples. ‘Against the permissible lead content of 0.01 parts per million, the Maggi samples were found to contain 17 parts per million,’ Pandey has explained. ‘That was enough for us to begin proceedings against Nestle India’s product.’ FSDA Commissioner PK Singh gave the go-ahead for the prosecution.
He’s diligent like that
Maggi is not the first big brand Pandey has taken on. Earlier, he took Britannia to court for not adhering to FSDA laws on labeling non-vegetarian food. In this case, it was Britannia’s packaged cakes. He’s clearly a stickler for rules and not just with big brands. Pandey had also acted against Lucknow’s popular biryani brand, Wahid, for using spurious colouring agents.
Just doing his job
In the wake of the Maggi case, Pandey suddenly finds himself in the spotlight. But the unassuming food inspector says he just wants to get on with his job, which is ensuring that the food we eat is safe.
