In a recent announcement, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has assured the public that Indomie noodles, a popular brand manufactured in Nigeria, are safe for human consumption.
The agency emphatically stated that the noodles do not contain ethylene oxide, responding to health officials in Malaysia and Taiwan who claimed to have detected this potentially harmful substance in Indomie’s special chicken flavor noodles.
Ethylene oxide is a colorless and odorless gas commonly used for sterilizing medical equipment and plastics. It is widely believed to be a carcinogenic chemical, raising concerns about its presence in food products.
To address the issue, Mojisola Adeyeye, the director-general of NAFDAC, disclosed that the agency initiated random sample tests of various brands of chicken-flavored instant noodles, as well as their seasonings, from production facilities across Nigeria, commencing on May 2.
Adeyeye emphasized that the investigation aimed to ensure thoroughness and encompass other instant noodle brands manufactured in the country, apart from Indomie.
In addition to the tests conducted at production facilities, NAFDAC officials visited markets and retail outlets in major cities such as Lagos, Abuja, and Kano. During these visits, samples of instant noodles were carefully collected for laboratory analysis.
“The market visits served as surveillance for the presence of the Taiwan and Malaysian special chicken noodles in the Nigerian market,” she said.
“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.
“The technique using gas chromatography with a mass spectrometry detector was deployed. A total of 114 samples of instant noodles and seasonings were received.
“We did not only analyze for ethylene oxide and its derivative 2-chloroethane in the noodles and seasonings; we also analyzed for other contaminants such as mycotoxins and heavy metals in the samples.
“Ethylene oxide or its derivative was not found in any of the instant noodles produced in Nigeria and their seasonings.
“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.”
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