Nestle pulls contaminated noodles from Philippines

Swiss food giant Nestle has pulled a popular brand of noodles from Philippine grocery shelves after routine tests found salmonella traces in some samples, the company and health officials said. Nestle's local subsidiary said it had not received any reports of consumers being infected by the bacteria from eating the noodles. It did not disclose the volume of products pulled from the shelves. The government's Food and Drug Administration acknowledged the voluntary recall. "Nestle has immediately conducted an investigation to determine the cause of the contamination, and has stopped all MAGGI Rich Mami Noodles production pending the completion of the Investigation," the government agency said. Salmonella, the most common cause of food poisoning, are bacteria that pass from human or animal faeces, causing diarrhea. "The product recall is a precautionary measure being taken to ensure the safety and quality of our products," Nestle Philippines said in paid newspaper advertisements Thursday. Initial findings suggest the ingredients from the flavouring, contained in a sachet inside the noodle packaging, had caused the contamination, it added.