In response to the recall of Indomie noodles by Taiwanese and Malaysian authorities due to the presence of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic substance, NAFDAC has announced its plan to conduct random sampling of the noodles and seasoning at the production facilities.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has released a statement indicating that the agency will be conducting tests for ethylene oxide, the chemical in question. The Director of the Food Lab Services Directorate has been engaged to work on the methodology for analyzing the samples.

According to Adeyeye, the importation of Indomie noodles has been banned in Nigeria for several years and the product is not registered by NAFDAC since it is on the government's prohibited list. The agency's decision to conduct random sampling is an additional measure to prevent any possible smuggling of the product into the country. Through post-marketing surveillance, the agency aims to detect any instances of non-compliance. Additionally, NAFDAC seeks to ensure that the spices used in the production of Indomie and other noodles in Nigeria undergo testing.

This week, NAFDAC's Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN) team and Post-Marketing Surveillance (PMS) team are conducting inspections at the production facilities and in the market, respectively. The Director-General has assured Nigerians that the outcomes of the investigation will be shared with them. Ethylene oxide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a colorless, highly reactive, and flammable gas commonly used as an intermediate in the production of various chemicals.

According to a report by the WHO, animal studies, test systems, and epidemiological findings indicate a potential increase in the occurrence of human cancer.

The report also recommends that ethylene oxide be classified as a likely human carcinogen and that efforts should be made to minimize its presence in the environment as much as possible.