India Orders Nepali Billionaire's CG Foods to Stop Production Over Unsanitary Noodle Practices
Quick Look
- India's food safety regulator ordered CG Foods India, part of Nepal's only billionaire Binod Chaudhary's conglomerate, to halt production of certain Wai Wai snacks after finding the company reprocessed floor-collected broken noodles into bhujia without heat treatment.
- Authorities seized 32,000 kg of stock and 1,925 boxes of expired goods, initiating strict legal proceedings as part of a nationwide crackdown on food hygiene violations affecting major brands.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
India has launched an unprecedented food safety drive targeting both large and small eateries and brands for hygiene, safety, or labeling lapses, including actions against major companies like Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Diageo.
Synopsis
India has taken a strong stance on food safety, ordering a Nepali firm to stop production after discovering unsanitary practices in its factory. Investigators found that snacks contained broken noodles scavenged from the floor. The authorities seized large quantities of expired materials, leading to legal measures against the food business operator as part of a nationwide initiative to enhance food standards.
NEW DELHI: India on Friday ordered a Nepali billionaire's company popular for its Wai Wai noodles to discontinue some products after an investigation found its factory used unhygienic "floor-collected, broken noodles" in making its Indian snacks.
The crackdown is part of an unprecedented food safety drive in India, where federal and state officials are taking strict action against big and small eateries and brands ranging from Domino's and Pizza Hut to Diageo for any food safety, hygiene or labelling lapses.
Also Read: FSSAI takes actions against CG Foods, directs company to stop production of bhujia namkeen
Friday's order was issued to a CG Foods India factory in Rajasthan state in western India, which is part of CG Corp Global, led by Nepal's only billionaire Binod Chaudhary, nicknamed the "Noodle King".
The regulator's investigation focused on two Wai Wai-branded products called bhujia - a popular fried Indian snack sold by many companies in the country in tiny packs.
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Inspectors found "re-processing floor-collected broken noodles into bhujia without heat treatment", the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in a social media post.
CG Foods India did not respond to a request for comment.
Authorities also seized 32,000 kg of stock from the factory, as well as 1,925 boxes of expired finished goods, the FSSAI said, adding that "strict legal proceedings" were initiated against the food business operator.
Samples have also been collected for testing, it added.
Last week, Indian authorities raided an illegal operation in Mumbai that faked expiry dates and nutritional information on original food products manufactured by PepsiCo, Nestle and others so they could be exported to other countries, Reuters reported.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
FSSAI will complete testing of seized samples and announce formal charges against CG Foods India within weeks.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific legal penalties will CG Foods India face?
- Will the seized stock be destroyed or repurposed?
- Are other CG Foods facilities under investigation?
