The Food Advisory Committee of the Health and Indigenous Medicine Ministry has decided to ban all noodles advertisements until further notice, Health Services Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala said.

According to Dr. Mahipala, the committee has also decided to remove all brands of noodles/instant noodles from the market with immediate effect if scientific laboratory tests confirm that the amount of lead in them exceeds 0.3mg/kg. All noodles/instant noodles producers have been informed to send the samples of their noodles to the relevant laboratories to decide the amount of lead in them. The process will be monitored by the officials appointed by the committee.

Dr. Mahipala pointed out that arrangements have been made to test all imported noodles/instant noodles for lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury before they enter Sri Lanka. No tested noodle brand samples were found to contain more than 0.3mg/kg (which is the standard maximum level of lead in noodles according to the Australian standard) of lead in them. "According to the report, noodles are produced locally and not imported from India or any other country.

But, Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) used with noodles is imported to Sri Lanka. Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), Sri Lanka Standard Institution and National Poison Information Unit officials, etc participated in the report review meeting held yesterday," Dr. Mahipala said.

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) requested the Sri Lanka Customs to stop consignments of rejected Maggi Noodles from India from being released to importers because they are said to contain high levels of Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG). The Indian High Commission had requested the CAA to ban the imports of such noodles to Sri Lanka from India through a written formal request.