In an announcement made by the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Christianah Adeyeye, it has been confirmed that the investigation conducted by NAFDAC regarding the presence of ethylene oxide or its metabolite in noodles and their seasonings has concluded that all noodles manufactured in Nigeria are safe for consumption.
During a press briefing in Lagos on Thursday, Prof Adeyeye stated that no traces of ethylene oxide or its derivative were discovered in any of the locally produced instant noodles and their seasonings.
As a result, it has been determined that all noodles produced in Nigeria are deemed safe for human consumption.
She said: “The level of Mycotoxin and the heavy metals were within the internationally acceptable limit. Therefore, the noodles made in Nigeria are very safe to eat.”
“Samples of chicken flavoured instant noodles of various brands and the seasonings were drawn from the production facilities across the country.
“This was to ensure that the investigation was robust, covering other instant noodles brands manufactured in Nigeria, besides Indomie, the implicated brand.
“The Post Marketing Surveillance Division also visited markets/retail outlets in the major cities of Lagos, Abuja, and Kano and drew samples of instant noodles for laboratory analysis.
“The market visits served as surveillance for the presence of the Taiwan and Malaysian special chicken noodles in the Nigerian market.
“The samples drawn from production facilities and trade were properly packaged and delivered in good condition to our Central Laboratory, Oshodi, Lagos, where analytical activities commenced immediately in accordance with international standards and methods of analysis.”
In addition, Prof Adeyeye mentioned that NAFDAC utilized Gas Chromatography with a Mass Spectrometry detector as the analytical technique during the investigation. The agency received a total of 114 samples comprising instant noodles and seasonings for testing purposes.
Prof Adeyeye clarified that ethylene oxide, the compound of concern, is a colorless and odorless gas primarily used for sterilizing medical devices. It has been associated with potential carcinogenic properties, raising concerns about its presence in food products.
She said: “We did not only analyze for ethylene oxide and its derivative 2-Chloroethanol in the noodles and seasonings; we also analysed for other contaminants such as mycotoxins and heavy metals in the samples.”
The investigation conducted by NAFDAC was prompted by the recalls of Indomie Instant Noodles ‘Special Chicken Flavour’ by the Ministries of Health in Malaysia and Taiwan.
The recalls were initiated due to alleged findings of ethylene oxide in the noodles, a compound that has been linked to an elevated risk of cancer.
