Makers of Indomie noodles have reacted to recall of it’s “special chicken” flavour by Malaysia and Taiwan.
This development is raising concerns on the safety of the noodles in Nigeria and globally.
The discovery of ethylene oxide known to cause cancer in the product by the health institutions in both countries is raising concerns on the safety of the food in Nigeria and globally.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Sunday confirms plans were on to verify the claim by its Taiwan and Malaysian counterparts.
NAFDAC says that it will conduct an independent tests on the concerned products.
The health department in the Taiwan Capital, Taipei, said during it’s random inspection of 30 instant noodles, it detected the presence of ethylene oxide in two instant noodles, which included the Indomie chicken flavour.
“The Taipei City Health Bureau reminds food industry that our country has not approved the use of ethylene oxide as a pesticide, nor has it approved the use of ethylene oxide gas as a disinfection purpose,” the department said in a statement.
“The industry is sure to implement autonomous management and confirm that the raw materials and products should comply with food safety and health management.”
According to the Malaysian ministry, it had taken enforcement actions, recalling the products concerned.
Indofoods, the producers of Indomie instant noodles, has denied the allegations claiming its noodles are produced with standard certification.
Ethylene oxide is a colourless, odourless gas that is used to sterilise medical devices and spices and has been described as a cancer-causing chemical.
Writing by Muzha Kucha; Editing by Julian Osamoto