The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has declared Nigeria-made Noodles safe for consumption.
This was stated by the Director General of the agency, Professor Moji Adeyeye, following the report of the discovery of ethylene oxide – a cancer-causing substance, in Indomie noodles ‘Special Chicken Flavour’ by Malaysian and Taiwanese authorities.
Prof Adeyeye, in a briefing in Lagos, stated that thorough investigation and random sampling was carried out on Indomie instant noodles and the seasonings from the production facilities and was extended to other brands of instant noodles offered for sale to Nigerians.
She said a total of 114 samples of instant noodles and seasonings were received from across the country, comprising 58 samples from factories and 56 samples from markets in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano.
She noted that analysis was not only carried out for ethylene oxide and its derivative 2-chloroethanol in the noodles and seasonings but also for other contaminants such as mycotoxins and heavy metals in the samples.
She however advised Nigerians to eat informatively, bearing in mind the consumption limits of certain classes of food and its diverse effects on the human body.
She further reiterated that imported noodles are prohibited in Nigeria, and the agency sampled three major markets in the country to ascertain that imported noodles are not sold in Nigeria.
