The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reiterated that the importation of Indomie noodles is not allowed in Nigeria as it is on the government prohibition list. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that only indomie noodles produced in Nigeria are approved for circulation, and not imported ones.
Following the recent recall of Indomie noodles by authorities in Taiwan and Malaysia, NAFDAC has started investigating the product. The agency will randomly sample the noodles, including the seasoning, from production facilities and markets. The samples will be tested for ethylene oxide, the compound of interest. The Director of NAFDAC’s Food Lab Services Directorate is working on the methodology for the analysis.
Adeyeye emphasized the importance of ensuring that Indomie and other noodles’ spices used in Nigeria are tested for safety. This week, NAFDAC’s Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN) and Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) will test the spices at the production facilities and in thZqqe market, respectively.
As a precautionary measure, NAFDAC is taking extra steps to ensure that the banned product is not smuggled into the country. The agency will provide updates on the outcome of the investigation.
