Patna, June 3 (IANS) As many as 16 samples of Maggi instant noodles have been collected in Bihar and sent to a Kolkata laboratory for testing, an official of state Directorate of Health said on Wednesday.

"We have collected 16 samples of Maggi noodles from across the state, including Patna, and sent them to Kolkata since there is no testing facility in Bihar," the official from the Drug Controller's office said.

He said the results of the samples were expected on Thursday.

"Only after the results are in, the Bihar government will decided whether to ban Maggi, as done by other states or take any other suitable action in this case," the official said.

The popular snack has been hounded by controversy after media reports surfaced on the alleged presence of harmful contents in the Maggi noodles.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also tested Maggi samples collected from various states in the wake of Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) finding monosodium glutamate and lead in excess of the permissible limits in the popular snack.

A Muzaffarpur district court in Bihar on Tuesday directed authorities to file an FIR against officials of Maggi noodles-maker Nestle and Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit, the brand ambassadors of the food item.