Indomie Ayam Spesial (Special Chicken) can still hold a special place in our hearts if we take the words of the instant noodle’s producer at face value.
On Monday, the Taipei City Government Department of Health announced that it had detected carcinogenic substances in Indomie Ayam Spesial and Malaysia’s Ah Lai White Curry Noodles from a recent random inspection of 30 imported and local instant noodle products in Taiwan.
The inspection found that the two products contained excessive levels of ethylene oxide, exposure to which has been found to increase the risk of lymphoma and leukemia, as well as stomach and breast cancers.
In Indomie Ayam Spesial’s case, the carcinogenic substance was found in the seasoning powder packet.
Indomie producer Indofood gave a brief statement on the matter, stressing that the products it exports comply with both Indonesian and international health standards.
“In principle, we follow guidelines by BPOM (Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency) and other FDAs from the nations that import our products,” Indofood Director Fransiscus Welirang told CNN Indonesia yesterday.
Nevertheless, Taiwanese authorities have ordered for the recall of the two instant noodle products, while their producers may face heavy financial sanctions.
It’s worth noting that BPOM had never found carcinogenic substances in Indomie Ayam Spesial nor the instant noodle brand’s other products.
