Nigeria bans importation of Indomie noodles amid cancer scare

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has banned the importation of indomie noodles.

This was revealed by NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye in an interview with journalists on Monday, May 1.

The ban on Indomie comes after the institution investigated claims by Taiwan and Malaysia authorities which reportedly discovered ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing agent, in the product.

She said the NAFDAC would today begin random sampling of indomie noodles, including the seasoning from the production facilities.

She said: “The compound of interest is ethylene oxide. So, the Director, Food Lab Services Directorate has been engaged. He is working on the methodology for the analysis.”

Adeyeye said Indomie noodles had been banned from being imported into Nigeria 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,” she said.

Adeyeye said Nigerians would be duly updated with the outcome of the investigation.