NEW DELHI: A sample of Nestlé India’s Low Fat Dairy Whitener, collected from the premises of The LaLiT in Connaught Place, has been declared “unsafe and substandard” by a Food Analyst’s laboratory, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said on Saturday. The sample was collected from M/s Bharat Hotels Ltd (The LaLiT), Connaught Place, FSSAI said. The regulator said the Food Analyst’s report found the product non-compliant under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.FSSAI said a copy of the laboratory analysis report was provided to the food business operator and a notice was issued regarding the non-compliant product. The operator was given an opportunity to appeal against the Food Analyst’s report within the prescribed period. FSSAI also directed that the identified product be immediately prohibited from sale.However, Nestlé India said the product is safe to consume and complies with all applicable regulatory requirements.A Nestlé India spokesperson said phosphorus occurs naturally in milk and is therefore present in milk-based products. The company said the FSSAI laboratory report reflects total phosphorus against the additive limit without accounting for the substantial natural phosphorus contribution from milk-based ingredients.Nestlé said the product is in full compliance with prescribed limits for added phosphorus under the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, including on an “as consumed” basis. The company said it has been engaging with the authorities through the due process established under law and has shared data on other same or similar milk-based products to demonstrate the presence of naturally occurring phosphorus.
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The LaLiT said the product was a packaged product procured from Nestlé India and that the sample was collected by FSSAI from the hotel approximately three months ago.Vivek Shukla, CEO, The LaLiT Suri Hospitality Group, said that after receiving communication from FSSAI, the hotel immediately took up the matter with Nestlé India, which assured it that the company would respond directly to FSSAI.The hotel said it simultaneously discontinued use of the product and removed all packets from its operations.“The matter concerning the product’s compliance is between FSSAI and Nestlé India and not with The LaLiT,” Shukla said, adding that the hotel had acted promptly after receiving the communication and remained committed to food safety protocols and compliance with FSSAI regulations.FSSAI’s public communication does not specify the particular laboratory finding or parameter that led to the sample being classified as unsafe and substandard.