Ramdev noodles: Watchdog says brand lacks licence

Baba Ramdev is one India's prominent yoga gurus

India's food quality watchdog has said a brand of noodles recently launched by yoga guru Baba Ramdev does not have mandatory approvals.

Patanjali noodles insists its product falls under the category of pasta, for which it has the correct licence.

Baba Ramdev launched Patanjali Atta (wheat) Noodles on Monday as a "safer" alternative after the recent furore over Nestle India's Maggi brand.

Social media users made fun of the noodles with #FSSAI trending earlier.

"Instant noodles are not standardised products, they cannot bring this into the market without approval," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) chairperson Ashish Bahuguna told Indian media.

"Patanjali Atta Noodles has not got product approval from us," he was quoted as saying by the Indian Express newspaper.

Twitter users are amused that Patanjali had advertised its noodles to be safe and healthy, but fell into the same predicament as Maggi noodles earlier this year.