• Indomie Nigeria not imported, says Dufil Prima
Following the recent discovery of noodles containing a causative cancer compound, ethylene oxide, imported from Malaysia and Taiwan, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has begun random sampling and analysis of related products, including seasoning, for safety of Nigerians.
Stating that the contaminated foreign offering, ‘Special Chicken Flavour’, was not registered by the agency in a statement, yesterday, NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, assured the citizens that findings from ongoing investigations would be made public.
She said: “It is important to mention that noodles are on the Import Prohibition List of the Federal Government, and it is therefore not permitted for importation to Nigeria.
“Further, the Indomie instant noodles products (and other brands of noodles) registered by NAFDAC for sale in the Nigerian market are manufactured in Nigeria and are only granted NAFDAC registration status, following a strict regulatory regime covering all aspects of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
The Ports Inspection Directorate (PID) is also on heightened alert to guard against importation of the implicated product into Nigeria.”
MEANWHILE, Group Public Relations Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie Noodles in Nigeria, Tope Ashiwaju, stated that Indomie Nigeria is different and a separate entity from Indomie Taiwan and Indomie Malaysia.
According to him, Indomie is locally produced in the country and operations have been ongoing for at least three decades. Ashiwaju added that the firm’s improved local capacity utilisation has aided enhanced production to meet market demand, rather than depending on importation.
He explained that the ban on the importation of instant noodles is not a recent development as Instant Noodles has been on the importation prohibition list of the Federal Government for a long time, adding that the announced ban is on foreign noodles and not locally produced noodles.
