NAFDAC: Investigations On Special Chicken Flavour Indomie Instant Noodles
NAFDAC extends probe to other brands, experts allay fears, The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Nigeria has followed up on the ongoing investigations of the ‘Special Chicken Flavour’ Indomie Instant Noodles which the Malaysian and Taiwan governments have flagged as carcinogenic.
The agency insists the locally produced brands of the noodles do not include ‘Special Chicken Flavour’, and its importation has remained banned for years.
Though many believe that some crooked individuals can still attempt to bring them into the country, the nation’s drug and food regulator said it had been alive to her responsibilities of safeguarding the health of the public.
“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 and Post Marketing Surveillance are doing this week at the production facilities and in the market respectively.”
Four medical experts also affirm that there is no need for Nigerians to distrust NAFDAC.
According to them, NAFDAC has been on the front burner in the exportation of regulated products and issuing quality certification for such regulated products.
A Professor of Public Health at the University of Ilorin and former National Chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria, Tanimola Akande, said “NAFDAC has publicly informed Nigerians that Nigeria is not at risk. Such a statement must have followed their own assessment of the Indomie product made in Nigeria.
“Such ordinarily should convince Nigerians that they are not at risk. It is desirable for NAFDAC to further ensure that indomie from Taiwan and Malaysia is not in the Nigerian market imported appropriately or smuggled into the country.
“There is a need for NAFDAC to do further active surveillance to ensure Indomie products from Taiwan and Malaysia are not in Nigeria. With these steps, Nigerians will be convinced that NAFDAC has done all they need to do to keep Nigerians from the risk of cancer from Indomie imported into Nigeria from Taiwan and Malaysia if any.”
Also, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Cancer Research and consumption of the ‘special chicken flavour’ Indomie instant noodles.
“We will further collaborate with NAFDAC in ensuring the safety and protection of Nigerians from cancer-causing agents,” Aliyu said.
Special Chicken Flavour
A public health physician, Dr Oladapo Asiyanbi urged Nigerians to trust the expertise of NAFDAC since it has cleared the air on the product.
Dr Asiyanbi said, “The steps NAFDAC has taken to explain the reasons why locally-made indomie is safe for consumption and why Nigeria is not at risk of the implicated indomie should suffice. We should not undermine our system with speculations and hearsay but facts.”
