NAFDAC has recently restated the ban on the importation of Indomie noodles into Nigeria. This statement was made by the Director General of the Agency, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, in a press statement that was released on Monday. This announcement comes after Taiwan and Malaysia recalled Indomie noodles due to the detection of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing agent.
According to the Director-General, the compound of concern is ethylene oxide, and the Director of Food Lab Services Directorate has started working on the methodology for the analysis. She stated that Indomie noodles have been banned from being imported into the country for many years, as they are one of the foods on the government prohibition list. As a result, they are not allowed in Nigeria and are not registered by NAFDAC.
The Director-General went on to say that the agency is taking extra precautions to ensure that the product is not smuggled into the country. Post-marketing surveillance will be used to detect any smuggled Indomie noodles, and NAFDAC Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN) and Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) will be inspecting the production facilities and the market, respectively.
NAFDAC also promised to keep Nigerians up-to-date with the outcomes of the investigation. The agency will begin random sampling of Indomie noodles, including the seasoning, from the production facilities starting tomorrow (Tuesday).
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), ethylene oxide is a colourless, highly reactive, and flammable gas that is widely used as an intermediate in the production of various chemicals. WHO notes that findings from animal investigations, test systems, and epidemiological findings suggest an increase in the incidence of human cancer, and that ethylene oxide should be considered as a probable human carcinogen. The report concludes that its levels in the environment should be kept as low as feasible.
