Nestle is "working closely" with the food safety authorities in Delhi, after product testing found Maggi noodles contained "unsafe" levels of lead.

According to Indian reports, Delhi's food safety body – the Department of Food Safety – found "unsafe" levels of lead in 10 of 13 Maggi samples collected. The state has reportedly implemented a 15 day ban on the sale of Maggi noodles.

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Delhi's tests contradict the results of sampling commissioned by Nestle. The company said it tested 125m packets of Maggi noodles – both at its own and independent laboratories. These tests showed lead levels "well within the limits" specified by food regulators," Nestle said.

A spokesperson for the group said that Nestle is now working to reconcile the divergent test results. "We are now working closely with the regulators in Delhi to understand the results of their tests. We are sharing our own test results, which show Maggi noodles to be completely safe, explaining our own testing methodologies and trying to understand the discrepancy between their test results and ours," the spokesperson told just-food this morning (4 June).

Officials at Delhi's Department of Food Safety could not be reached for comment at time of press.

The Maggi safety scandal broke when the authorities in Uttar Pradesh detected elevated lead and MSG in routine testing. UP has filed a criminal case against Nestle India while other states have been testing product and other Indian states have began testing Maggi noodles.

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According to Indian reports, the health ministers of Jharkhand and Gujarat are expected to make a decision on whether to ban Maggi tomorrow while Maharashtra has said it will announce any action to be taken on Friday.

Nestle has not commented on the impact that the scare has had on Maggi sales in India. Maggi accounts for around 29% of Nestle revenues in the market.

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