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Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the director-general of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has provided additional information regarding the ban on Indomie Instant Noodles.
Adeyeye informed the media that the FDA had not authorized the brand's "Special Chicken Flavour" for sale in Nigeria.
The NAFDAC DG also announced that the organization has started randomly sampling and testing Indomie noodles, including the seasoning, for the presence of ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen that authorities in Malaysia and Taiwan are believed to have found.
The declaration said;
"The Management of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, is aware of the recall of Indomie Instant Noodles 'Special Chicken Flavour' by the Ministries of Health in Malaysia and Taiwan due to the alleged presence of ethylene oxide, a substance linked to an increased risk of cancer.
"As a responsible and proactive regulatory body, NAFDAC is moving quickly to conduct random sample and analysis of Indomie noodles (including the seasoning) for the presence of ethylene oxide and to expand the investigation to other brands of instant noodles sold to Nigerians.
"We use this channel to reassure the public that a complete investigation of the items will be carried out at both the production and market levels, and our findings will be communicated.
"The implicated Indomie Instant Noodles 'Special Chicken Flavour' is not registered by NAFDAC for sale in Nigeria, the public is thus hereby informed. Noodles are prohibited from being imported into Nigeria because they are listed on the Federal Government of Nigeria's Import Prohibition List.
"Furthermore, the Indomie instant noodles products (and other brands of noodles) recognized by NAFDAC for sale in the Nigerian market are made in Nigeria, and NAFDAC registration status is only awarded once they have passed a demanding regulatory system that addresses all aspects of Good Manufacturing Practice, GMP.
"In order to prevent the import of the allegedly problematic commodity into Nigeria, the Ports Inspection Directorate, PID, is likewise on high alert. NAFDAC wants to reassure the public that the Agency is proactive and is still aware of her duties to protect the people's health."
