NAFDAC Begins Probe On Safety Of Indomie Noodles Today, Says DG

Following global safety concerns, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), yesterday, said it had started investigating and responding to news on recall of Indomie noodles by Taiwanese and Malaysian authorities.

Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, in a statement, said: “Tomorrow (today), May 2, 2023, NAFDAC’s Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate will randomly sample Indomie noodles (including the seasoning). The compound of interest is ethylene oxide. The Director, Food Lab Services Directorate, has been engaged. He is working on 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 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 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. The public will be duly updated with outcomes of the investigation.”

Meanwhile, earlier studies have suggested that regular consumption of rice, noodle and bread increase the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, kidney damage, stroke and obesity.

In recent times, there have been claims and counterclaims that long-term consumption of foods with high glycemic index, potassium bromate and arsenic increases risk of developing non-communicable diseases.

(Guardian)