Indomie Noodles Have Been Banned -- NAFDAC, Reveals Why

 The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has said Indomie noodles remains banned, even as it said it will investigate allegations of a cancer-causing chemical found in the meal.

It would be recalled that Health officials in Malaysia and Taiwan averred that they had detected ethylene oxide, a compound, in Indomie’s special chicken flavour noodles.

The two countries (Malaysia and Taiwan) since the announcement have since recalled the Indomie special chicken flavour from shelves.

 

NAFDAC director-general, Mojisola Adeyeye said from May 2, the agency would begin random sample tests of the noodles and other brands.

The NAFDAC DG while speaking with TheCable on Monday, said the agency began investigating once it got wind of the recall of the products by Taiwan and Malaysia authorities.

“Tomorrow, 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 (will) samples from the markets,” she said.

“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.”

Adeyeye DG said the product is on the prohibition list of the federal government, noting that it is not registered by the agency and had been banned from importation to Nigeria years ago.

She said NAFDAC is working to ensure that the product is not being smuggled and that the feedback from the investigations would be communicated to the public.

“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,” the NAFDAC DG told TheCable.

“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 (FSAN) and post-marketing surveillance (PMS) are doing this week at the production facilities and in the market respectively. The public will be duly updated with the outcomes of the investigation.”