JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indofoods, an Indonesian food giant and one of the world’s largest makers of instant noodles, has defended the safety of its Indomie instant noodle products following recalls in Malaysia and Taiwan.
Health officials in these countries claim to have discovered a potentially cancer-causing substance, ethylene oxide, in the popular noodles.
Taufik Wiraatmadja, a member of Indofoods’ board of directors, stated on Friday, April 28, 2023, “We would like to emphasise that … our Indomie instant noodles are safe for consumption.”
He further explained that all instant noodles produced by the company in Indonesia adhere to food safety standards set by the Codex Standard for Instant Noodles and the Indonesian National Agency for Drug and Food Control (BPOM).
Indofoods exports its products to over 90 countries, with especially high popularity in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.
Franciscus Welirang, the company’s director and president commissioner, confirmed earlier this week that Indofoods has “strictly followed and complied” with domestic and international health and food safety standards.
Health officials in Malaysia and Taiwan recently detected ethylene oxide in Indomie’s “special chicken” flavour noodles.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “this colourless, odourless gas, used to sterilise medical devices and spices can contribute to an increased cancer risk”.
Malaysia’s Health Director-General Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan announced that enforcement action had been taken after 11 out of 36 samples of instant noodles from different brands were found to contain ethylene oxide since 2022.
Affected products have been recalled, though it is unclear if other brands are implicated.
Taipei’s Department of Health made a similar announcement on Monday after detecting ethylene oxide in two types of instant noodles, including Indomie chicken flavour.
Businesses were ordered to remove these products from their shelves, as ethylene oxide is not approved for use as a pesticide or disinfectant in Taiwan.
On Thursday, Indonesia’s food and drug monitoring agency stated that local products are safe for consumption, despite containing traces of ethylene oxide. The agency urged Indofoods to ensure that products did not contain high levels of the chemical.
Indonesia’s director general of foreign trade, Budi Santoso, said local officials had checked the recalled products and found them safe for consumption. He noted that Taiwan’s regulations are “very sensitive and different” compared to guidelines in Indonesia.
Watchdogs and local lawmakers have called on the government to investigate further. Politician Kurniasih Mufidayati urged the food and drugs agency to test more samples of Indomie to ensure their safety, stating, “Give a sense of safety to consumers, by testing regularly and announcing the results to the public.”
Indomie launched in 1972 with a chicken flavour, followed by the wildly popular “mi goreng” flavour in 1982.
Unlike most instant ramen, Indomie noodles are eaten dry, often mixed with condiments like ketchup, chili, soy sauce, MSG flavoring, and fried shallots.
This common dish is served at street food vendors throughout Indonesian cities.
