It's a never-ending laboratory tests for Nestlé Maggi noodles sold in India. On Tuesday, a government laboratory presented its test report on 16 samples of the controversial noodles in the Supreme Court with replicas to be provided as well to the Centre and Nestlé in three days.

One of the reports states that the lead content in the noodles was within the allowable limits unlike monosodium glutamate (MSG) which has a higher level. The Centre's counsel said, the first report says lead content is within the permissible limit but MSG content is there."

The Nestlé's counsel informed the bench of justices headed by Justice Dipak Misra that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in a late notification that it is impossible to identify the MSG content after the manufacturing and can only be confirmed during processing, the Daily News & Analysis reported.

"In pursuance of the earlier order, samples were sent to CSIR, Karnataka for testing of the product. The said institute has filed the report in a sealed cover. The report be given to the counsel for the parties in three days," the court said while granting liberty to the parties to argue on the basis of the report.

The apex court asked the Mysore-based government laboratory early on January 13, if test reports linked to lead and glutamic acid in Maggi noodles were within allowable parameters under the law. It passed the order after studying two communications received from the Mysore laboratory where the test had been carried out about the monosodium glutamate content in the samples, livemint reports.

The tests conducted by CFTRI on Maggi samples was in execution to the October 15 directions of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) and the direction of apex court in December 16 that modify the NCDRC's December 9-10 order requesting a Chennai-based lab to test the samples, according to the Times of India.

Before the NCDRC, the government filed a class action suit with Nestlé India, seeking almost Rs. 640 crore in damages for accused unfair trade practices, misleading information and false labeling. The hearing on the proceeding is on hold in the aftermath of ongoing hearing by the apex court.