The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has debunked reports of placing a ban on Indomie Instant noodles. Its message also claims that the product is safe for consumption.
Earlier, Malaysian and Taiwanese health officials had claimed to discover a cancerous agent that affects the lymphoid and breast called ethylene oxide in Indomie noodles. And the news had lead to series of investigations on IndoFoods and their manufacturers. The Malaysian Ministry of Health then ordered that all Indomie Special Chicken Flavour instant noodles products be held and properly tested at all entry points in the country before release.
News reports also had it that the NAFDAC had placed a restraining order on the sale and consumption of Indomie noodles.
However, the Director-General of the health agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has asked consumers not to be scared because of the preventive measures of South Asia. She also assured all that the agency has countermeasures to prevent importing the products from affected countries.
She said, “NAFDAC did not ban Indomie,” Professor Adeyeye said in a phone conversation with our Channels Television reporter on Monday.
“Indomie has been on the government prohibition list for many years to encourage local manufacturing.
“NAFDAC has registered several local manufacturers and the Indomie noodles have been safe.
“The Taiwan and Malaysia noodles have nothing to do with our local producers.”
Moreover, she said that the agency is not being indifferent to the seriousness of the report. Instead, it is “responding to the news as a cautionary post-marketing monitoring measure to ensure that locally-made noodles stay safe.”
She also said NAFDAC will begin random sampling of Indomie noodles from the production facilities, including the seasoning, to make sure they are safe for use.
