The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Nigeria has announced that the cancer testing of Indomie noodles, including the seasoning, from production facilities and markets will start tomorrow (Tuesday).
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” flavour noodles.
The merchandise has been recalled in Malaysia and Taiwan.
While this was going on, Indofood, the company that makes Indomie noodles, defended the security of its goods by stating that all instant noodles produced by the ICBP in Indonesia were processed in accordance with the food safety regulation from the Codex Standard for Instant Noodles and standards set by the Indonesian National Agency for Drug and Food Control.
“ICBP has exported instant noodles to various countries around the world for more than 30 years.
The company continuously 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,” a press statement by Indofood read in part.
According to the National Cancer Institute, ethylene oxide is a flammable colourless gas with a sweet odour at room temperature.
“It is used primarily to produce other chemicals, including antifreeze. In smaller amounts, ethylene oxide is used as a pesticide and a sterilising agent. The ability of ethylene oxide to damage DNA makes it an effective sterilising agent but also accounts for its cancer-causing activity,” the institute said.
Nigeria is one of the countries that consumes 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 on Monday that the organisation has begun an investigation and is reacting right away to the news of the Indomie noodles being recalled by authorities in Taiwan and Malaysia.
Prof Adeyeye said, “Tomorrow, (Tuesday) May 2, 2023, NAFDAC’s Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate will randomly sample Indomie noodles (including the seasoning) from the production facilities while Post Marketing Surveillance Directorate samples from the markets. The compound of interest is ethylene oxide, so the Director, Food Lab Services Directorate has been engaged. He is working on the methodology for the analysis.
“It should be noted that Indomie noodles have been banned from being imported into the country for many years. It is one of the foods on the government prohibition list. It is not allowed in Nigeria, and therefore not registered by NAFDAC.
“What we are doing is an extra caution to ensure that the product is not smuggled in and if so, our post-marketing surveillance would detect it. We also want to be sure that the spices used for the Indomie and other noodles in Nigeria are tested. That is what NAFDAC Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and Post Marketing Surveillance are doing this week at the production facilities and in the market respectively.”
Adeyeye added that the public will be duly updated with the outcomes of the investigation.
Indomie Cancer testing.
