Nestle India has challenged a ban imposed by India's food safety regulator on its popular Maggi noodles.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India says tests have found instant noodles "unsafe and hazardous" and has accused Nestle of failing to comply with food safety laws.

Nestle on Thursday said it had gone to the high court in Mumbai seeking a judicial review of the order.

The company insists the noodles are completely safe.

In a statement, Nestle India said it had approached the court "as part of the effort to resolve" the matter and was "raising issues of interpretation" of India's food safety laws.

The company said it was also challenging a separate order from the government of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital.

Last week, Nestle began withdrawing the Maggi brand from stores, after regulators said they found higher-than-allowed levels of lead in some packets.

On Thursday, it said it was continuing to withdraw the product from store shelves despite the court action.

Nestle's Global Chief Executive Paul Bulcke has asked to see the results of the laboratory tests and promised to return Maggi to store shelves soon.

Several states have also been testing the noodles for the chemical monosodium glutamate, widely known as MSG.

The instant noodles arrived in India in 1983 and can be found in corner shops across the country.