New Delhi, May 20: Food inspectors have ordered Nestle India to recall a batch of Maggi noodles from shops across the country, saying the product contained dangerous levels of lead.

The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FDA) in Uttar Pradesh said high lead content was found during routine tests on two dozen packets of instant noodles, manufactured by Nestle in India.

A Nestle India spokesperson confirmed Uttar Pradesh had ordered the firm to withdraw the batch dating back to March 2014, but added that the items concerned had either already been consumed or were beyond the sell-by date, making the recall difficult.

Two FDA officials said all the packets of instant noodles tested in the state-run laboratory were contaminated. They found a lead concentration of 17.2 parts per million (ppm), nearly seven times the permissible limit. The FDA officials said the acceptable limit of lead ranges between 0.01 ppm and 2.5 ppm.

The scientists also found high levels of added monosodium glutamate (MSG), a taste enhancer, in the noodles.

"Maggi instant noodles contained dangerous amount of lead and MSG. We had to immediately issue orders against the company," D.G. Srivastava, deputy inspector-general of the FDA in Lucknow, said.

Nestle India, a subsidiary of Swiss-based Nestle SA, said it had strict safety and quality controls in place.

In a statement, Nestle said: "We have strict food safety and quality controls in place for all raw materials used to make Maggi Noodles. These include comprehensive testing to ensure that our products comply with all applicable food safety laws and our own high standards of quality and safety before they reach our consumers.

"We are aware of reports that tests by the local authorities have detected MSG in a pack of Maggi Noodles. The authorities are continuing with their investigation and at the same time we have also submitted product samples to an independent accredited laboratory and will share the results with the authorities.

"We do not add MSG to Maggi Noodles and our label declarations are as per local regulation. We use raw materials in Maggi Noodles which can contain naturally-occurring Glutamate. It is important to note that many agricultural commodities like onion, peas, tomatoes, etc. contain glutamate. This could be confused with commercially added MSG. Glutamate is safe to consume.

"We are also aware of the reports of elevated levels of lead in a pack of Maggi Noodles analysed by the authorities. We regularly monitor for lead as part of our stringent quality control processes, including testing by accredited laboratories. These tests have consistently shown lead levels in Maggi Noodles to be within permissible limits. We have explained this to authorities while they investigate the matter further."

Srivastava said his team collected more than two dozen packs of instant noodles from stores across the state and tested each pack separately before making the findings public.

Nestle has a 63 per cent market share for instant noodles, says a report released by Euromarket International in March this year. But competition has been snapping at its heels.