At the country’s entry points, the health ministry conducts six levels of inspection on imported food products based on risks, claims Dr. Radzi.
The two varieties of instant noodles that were previously recalled in Malaysia due to concerns about carcinogens have been deemed safe for consumption, according to the health ministry of Malaysia on Tuesday (May 9).
After Taiwanese authorities discovered ethylene oxide, a chemical compound linked to lymphoma and leukaemia, the two products—Penang Ah Lai White Curry Noodles and Indomie Special Chicken Flavour Instant Noodles—were taken off the market of Malaysia.
Malaysia has since conducted tests and discovered that the goods adhere to its rules. Director-general of health for Malaysia Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan issued a statement saying, “Based on the laboratory analysis that has been performed on (the) samples, the Ministry of Health confirms that the products comply with the prescribed legislation and are safe to eat.”
At the country’s entry points, the health ministry conducts six levels of inspection on imported food products based on risks, claims Dr. Radzi.
According to him, products that do not adhere to the rules are taken off the market. “Food products entering the country will be held and analysed first for Level 5 inspection, which is Hold, Test, and Release (TUL). Only foodstuffs that meet the standard are made available on the Malaysian market, he explained.
He mentioned that 37 of the 317 samples analysed under TUL from April 2022 to April 2023 were instant noodles from different brands that were tested for ethylene oxide parameters.
The Penang Ah Lai White Curry Noodles and the Indomie Special Chicken Flavour Instant Noodles were recalled on April 26 by the health ministry.
Two days prior, the Taipei Department of Health reported that certain batches of the products contained ethylene oxide. The findings were the result of a city inspection of Taipei’s instant noodles.
According to reports, the fines for the product’s importers will range from NT$60,000 (1,950 USD) to NT$200 million. Ethylene oxide is poisonous when consumed or inhaled, according to information on the website of Taiwan’s Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau under the Cabinet-level Environmental Protection Administration.
Bernama reported that ethylene oxide can cause birth defects and hereditary diseases, as well as lymphoma and leukemia, serious skin and eye irritation, and even lymphoma and leukemia.