The random sampling of Indomie noodles, including the seasoning, will start tomorrow (Tuesday), according to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control(NAFDAC) in Nigeria.
Additionally, NAFDAC stated that the products were prohibited from being imported into Nigeria and had been for a very long time.
This comes after health regulators in Malaysia and Taiwan found ethylene oxide, a chemical that may cause cancer, in Indomie’s “special chicken” flavor noodles.
The merchandise has been recalled in Malaysia and Taiwan.
Indofod, the company that produces Indomie noodles, defended the security of its goods, claiming that all instant noodles made by the ICBP in Indonesia were processed in accordance with the Codex Standard for Instant Noodles and the Indonesian National Agency for Drug and Food Control’s standards.
“For more than 30 years, ICBP has sold instant noodles to several nations.
In a press release from Indofood, the firm said that it “constantly ensures that all of its products are in compliance with the applicable food safety regulations and guidelines in Indonesia as well as other countries where the ICBP’s instant noodles are marketed.”
Ethylene oxide is a combustible, colorless gas with a pleasant smell at normal temperatures, according to the National Cancer Institute.
It is typically employed to create other compounds, such as antifreeze. Ethylene oxide is used as a sterilizing agent and a pesticide at lesser doses. Ethylene oxide’s effectiveness as a sterilizing agent—which also explains why it causes cancer—is due to its capacity to destroy DNA, according to the institute.
Nigeria is one of the countries that consume the most instant noodles, and Indomie is a brand of instant noodles made by the Indonesian business Indofood.
Additionally, Indomie is exported to more than 90 nations worldwide.
The NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, stated to The PUNCH on Monday that the organization has begun an investigation and is reacting right away to the news of the Indomie noodles being recalled by authorities in Taiwan and Malaysia.
The NAFDAC Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate will randomly sample Indomie noodles (including the seasoning) from the manufacturing facilities tomorrow (Tuesday), May 2, 2023, while the Post Marketing Surveillance Directorate samples from the marketplaces, according to Prof. Adeyeye.
The Director of the Food Lab Services Directorate has been contacted since the substance of interest is ethylene oxide. He is developing the analysis technique.
“It should be remembered that the importation of Indomie noodles has been prohibited for many years. It is on the list of foods that the government forbids. As a result, NAFDAC has not registered it because it is illegal in Nigeria. “What we are doing is exercising extra caution to ensure that the product is not being smuggled in and, if it were, our post-marketing surveillance would detect it,” said the company.
Additionally, we want to confirm that Nigerian noodles and other foods use tested spices. This week, NAFDAC Food Safety, Applied Nutrition, and Post Marketing Surveillance are carrying out those activities in turn at manufacturing sites and markets.
Adeyeye stated that the results of the probe will be properly reported to the public.