Can we eat Baba Ramdev's noodles? FSSAI would rather we didn't. Here's why

This is turning out to be a never-ending duel between the Food Security and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Yoga guru Baba Ramdev.

FSSAI has issued a show cause notice to Patanjali Ayurved. It has demanded an explanation on the sale of the atta noodles brand - launched by Baba Ramdev - without the food regulator's approval.

Another notice has been issued to Aakash Yog, the manufacturer of the instant noodles, seeking its response as to how the product was manufactured without a licence from FSSAI, reported the Indian Express.

The notice comes days after Baba Ramdev said that Patanjali had followed all guidelines and there was some confusion regarding the approval issue that would be sorted out soon.

But far from being sorted out, the controversy has only gotten murkier and it looks like the matter might just become a full blown face-off between FSSAI and Patanjali. Ramdev's spokesperson said that they haven't received any notice.

What is the controversy all about?

The problem began this Wednesday when The Indian Express reported that FSSAI chairperson Ashish Bahuguna said that Patanjali didn't have the required "product approval" to sell its noodles in the market.

Patanjali promptly issued a statement saying the report was misleading and that they have the "central license" to manufacture and sell the product.

However, it later emerged that the licence used to manufacture noodles by Patanjali was actually obtained for a host of other products like honey, vermicelli and pasta. Since, according to Patanjali, noodles and pasta fall under the same category, they didn't need a separate product approval for their newest launch.

The fix, however, is that the noodles are ready to be made a product and doesn't take more than a three minutes to be prepared. It comes under the instant food category. Plus, a tastemaker (masala) comes with the 70-gram pack.

Such product is a non-standardised product, meaning FSSAI doesn't have clear guidelines for such products. So, before they can be sold in the market, a "product approval" is necessary.

FSSAI's noodle activism

This is the second noodles brand that has come under FSSAI's scanner after Nestle's Maggi. Maggi was temporarily banned following FSSAI's examinations that it was unfit for consumption. The Bombay High Court revoked the ban on Maggi on October 19.

However, FSSAI has challenged the High Court order as erroneous. It has raised questions on the "sanctity" of the samples provided to the government-approved labs for the re-test in the Supreme Court.

For the common man, it boils down to just one question

The Maggi ban had caused panic as it was one of the most popular brands of noodles for households across India. Baba Ramdev's noodles came at a time when Maggi was battling a ban and a credibility crisis. Although, Patanjali has reiterated time and again that the timing of the launch was not an attempt to capitalise on the Maggi crisis but to provide a "healthy alternative" to instant noodles brands.

Patanjali noodles are already available in most retail shops in the national capital. And by Patanjali spokesperson's admission it would be available across India by the end of December. In such a scenario, there is one question that the consumer would like answered - Is Patanjali atta noodles fit for consumption? For now, there seems to be no clarity on that.