Cancer Scare: We’ve banned importation of noodles – NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commenced an investigation into the news of recalled noodles by Taiwan and Malaysia authorities.

It was reported days ago that Taiwan and Malaysia authorities discovered ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing agent, in the product.

Reaffirming a ban on importation of Indomie noodles, the Director-General of the Agency, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, said on Monday, May 1, that the Director of the Food Lab Services Directorate has been engaged and has started working on the methodology for the analysis.

It is also expected that the agency’s Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate will on Tuesday, May 2, randomly sample Indomie noodles including the seasoning from the production facilities while Post Marketing Surveillance Directorate samples from the markets.

Adeyeye said;

”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 an 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 the 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, respectively.”

The NAFDAC DG also promised that Nigerians will be duly updated with the outcome of the investigation.