Indofood, makers of Indomie instant noodles, has reacted to a recall of its products in Taiwan and Malaysia over an increased cancer risk.
Health officials in Malaysia and Taiwan said
they had detected ethylene oxide, a compound, in Indomie’s “special chicken”
flavor noodles.
Ethylene oxide is a colourless, odourless gas
that is used to sterilise medical devices and spices and has been associated with
a cancer-causing chemical.
The Ministry of Health in Malaysia said it
had examined 36 samples of instant noodles from different brands since 2022 and
found that 11 samples contained ethylene oxide.
The ministry said it had taken enforcement
actions and recalled the affected products. It is unclear if other brands were
implicated.
The development came hours after the
Department of Health in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, said it detected ethylene
oxide in two types of instant noodles, including the Indomie chicken flavor,
following random inspections.
“The detection of ethylene oxide in the
product did not comply with [standards],” the department said in a statement.
“Businesses have been ordered to immediately
remove them from their shelves.”
‘OUR NOODLES ARE PRODUCED ACCORDING TO SAFETY
STANDARDS'
Reacting to the allegations in a statement on
Friday, Taufik Wiraatmadja, a member of the board of directors at Indofoods,
defended the safety of the noodles.
Wiraatmadja said the noodles have received
standard certifications and have been produced in compliance with international
food safety regulations.
“Following the media reports in Taiwan on 24
April 2023 regarding the detection of ethylene oxide (“EtO”) in the Ah Lai
White Curry Noodles from Malaysia and seasoning of Indomie Special Chicken
Flavour, PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk (“ICBP” or the “Company”) as a
subsidiary of PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk wishes to provide an explanation
regarding Indomie, as follows,” the statement reads.
“All instant noodles produced by ICBP in
Indonesia are processed in compliance with the food safety standards from the
Codex Standard for Instant Noodles and standards set by the Indonesian National
Agency for Drug and Food Control (“BPOM RI”). Our instant noodles have received
Indonesian National Standard Certification (SNI), and are produced in certified
production facilities based on international standards.
“ICBP has exported instant noodles to various
countries around the world for more than 30 years. The Company continuously
ensures that all of its products comply with the applicable food safety regulations and guidelines in Indonesia and other countries where
ICBP’s instant noodles are marketed.
“We would like to emphasize that in
accordance with the statement released by BPOM RI, our Indomie instant noodles
are safe for consumption.”
Nigeria is one of the highest consumers of Indomie instant noodles.
Post a Comment