By Asmau Ahmad
The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, on Thursday, said the implicated cancer-causing Indomie is not in Nigeria.
She said the outcome of the laboratory investigation conducted on Indomie Instant Noodles and other noodle brands in Nigeria following the alert raised by Taiwan and Malaysia health officials, showed that the locally produced Indomie in Nigeria are safe for consumption.
She further revealed that the recalled ‘Special Chicken Flavour’ in Malaysia and Taiwan is not in Nigeria.
Prof. Adeyeye, who disclosed this during the quarterly interactive session between the agency and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, implored Nigerians to imbibe safe eating habits.
Recall that the Taiwan and Malaysian authorities said they detected a compound called ethylene oxide, a potentially cancer-causing substance in Indomie’s ‘special chicken flavour’ which led to the product being recalled.
In a statement by the NAFDAC Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, Prof. Adeyeye was quoted to have said samples of the noodles and seasonings were collected by the Agency for laboratory analysis.
“The agency had run all the necessary tests but we needed a chemical standard. It’s all science. We are a science organization and our processes are science-driven.
We cannot conduct our own Nigerian science. No. We have to use the international standard chemical agents and things like that,” the statement read in part.
The NAFDAC DG stressed that the agency is highly sensitive to food safety, adding that they have to make sure that the right thing is done, more importantly, regulatory-wise.
She informed us that NAFDAC officials went around and took samples from the market “because there are suitcase importers that may bring such product in without us knowing.”
The NAFDAC boss emphasised that the agency did not ban the importation of Indomie during the recent Taiwan and Malaysia episode.
She noted that noodles generally had been banned by the Federal Government many years before she assumed office as the DG to protect the local manufacturing sector.
“We are improving on what will make our people healthier. Whatever we put into our food will affect us. Whether positively or otherwise,” she added.
Prof. Adeyeye, urged the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to take advantage of the opportunity to generate foreign exchange for the nation’s economy.
“That’s why I urge MAN to take the bull by the horn with the Food, Beverage, and Tobacco sector and Chemical and Pharmaceutical sector to take the lead. We can do it. We can lead Africa in terms of trade. It may take some effort but it’s achievable,” she assured.
The Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi Quadri, pledged to work with the agency to enhance the nation’s GDP and competitiveness index.
‘’We shall also be looking for the definitive action on the outstanding memorandum of understanding between NAFDAC and MAN. We remain convinced that the MOU exemplifies the concretisation of the cooperation and collaboration that we have built over the years.
“It provides the basis for certainty. It minimises the use of discretion and becomes a sustainable guarding document in our relationship. This is what our nation needs to work,” Quadri said.
