Image: indomie.com
Doha: Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency said the popular Indomie instant noodle variant is safe for consumption in the country despite its recall in Taiwan and Malaysia for "containing carcinogenic substances".
Recently, the Taipei City Health Department and the Malaysia Health Ministry recalled the Indomie Special Chicken Flavour noodles after traces of a cancer-causing chemical, ethylene oxide, were detected.
Ethylene oxide, a chemical commonly used to disinfect products or sterilise medical equipment and spices, as well as to kill pests such as insects, has been linked to lymphoma and leukemia.
According to Taiwan News, health officials made random inspections of instant noodle products in the market, and of the products tested, Indomie Special Chicken Flavour was found to contain excessive levels of ethylene oxide, making the products carcinogenic.
In a statement on Thursday, Indonesia’s food and drug regulator said the popular instant noodles met the safety standard for ethylene oxide and are safe for consumption.
"The Indomie chicken special variant did contain Ethylene oxide but is at a level that is acceptable to the country's health agency standard," it said in a press statement.
"The level detected in the instant noodle sample in Taiwan (0,34 ppm) is still way below the standard applied in Indonesia and in other countries like the United States and Canada. Therefore, in Indonesia, the instant noodle is safe for consumption as it has complied with the standard applied here," the health agency said.
On its website, Indomie promotes its Special Chicken Flavour instant noodles as more succulent and flavorful than the usual chicken range, inviting consumers to make it more special by adding poached eggs, chicken meat, and veggies.
