NAFDAC has denied reports that it has banned the consumption of Indomie instant noodles and has reassured consumers that the product is safe for consumption. Recently, health officials in Malaysia and Taiwan claimed to have detected ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic substance, in the product which has led to investigations of Indofoods, the manufacturers of Indomie.
As a result, the Ministry of Health in Malaysia has issued a directive to hold, test and release Indomie Special Chicken Flavour instant noodles products from Malaysia at all entry points of the country. However, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has urged consumers not to worry about the preemptive measures taken by South-Asian countries.
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Professor Adeyeye explained that Indomie has been on the government prohibition list for many years to encourage local manufacturing, but NAFDAC has registered several local manufacturers whose products are safe for consumption. She stated that NAFDAC would begin random sampling of Indomie noodles, including the seasoning, from the production facilities to ensure their safety levels for consumption.
Although NAFDAC is responding to the news as a cautionary post-marketing monitoring measure, it is not disregarding the reports.
