Taiwan tests Indomie variant & detects cancer-causing chemical, Indonesia says product safe to eat

Indonesia's Indomie instant noodles has come under scrutiny after Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it found a carcinogenic chemical in the seasoning packets of the Rasa Soto Banjar Limau Kuit flavour variant.

However, a few days after Taiwan's FDA raised alarms, Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) said the variant is safe for consumption based on Indonesian standards, The Jakarta Post reported.

According to The Jakarta Post, the Taiwan FDA conducted laboratory tests on an imported batch of the noodles following a consumer complaint on Aug. 6.

The findings, announced on Sep. 9, revealed that 0.1 mg per kg of ethylene oxide were detected in the seasoning packets.

The product thus breaches Taiwan's Pesticide Residue Tolerance Standards, which states that ethylene oxide must not be detected.

What is ethylene oxide?

Ethylene oxide is a colourless gas classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a human carcinogen.

It is commonly used as a raw material to make other chemicals in the production of antifreeze, textiles, plastics, detergents, and adhesives.

According to the United States National Cancer Institute, cancers such as lymphoma, leukaemia, stomach cancer, and breast cancer have been frequently reported to be associated with exposure to ethylene oxide.

The main means of human exposure to the chemical is through inhalation and ingestion.

Taiwan's response

The batch of the Indomie that was tested had been imported from Indonesia by a company in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, as reported by Taiwan's SETNews.

Following the detection of ethylene oxide, all 900kg of the batch were required to be returned to Indonesia or destroyed.

The FDA also tightened controls by increasing the sampling size of food imported by the same Kaohsiung company at the border from 20 to 50 per cent.

Indonesia's clarification

Indomie producer PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur (ICBP), which manufactured the batch in question, has admitted that the product tested in Taiwan did not meet Taiwan's standards, The Jakarta Post reported.

However, ICBP added that it had not "officially exported" that batch to Taiwan, and accused a trader or "unauthorised importers" for arranging the shipment without the company’s knowledge.

ICBP also said that all instant noodles it produced in Indonesia comply with the food safety standards for instant noodles set by the country's BPOM and the Codex Standard, the latter of which was established by the World Health Organisation and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation.

BPOM affirmed it in a Sep. 12 statement, saying that the Rasa Soto Banjar Limau Kuit variant has a distribution permit from BPOM, and hence can be sold in Indonesia and remains safe for consumption.

The agency added that it would keep coordinating with the Taiwanese authorities and other parties involved to take action, and monitor the developments of the situation.

Ethylene oxide in Singapore

In two separate cases in 2022, Singapore recalled some Häagen-Dazs ice cream products and two variants of Indonesia's Mie Sedaap instant noodles due to high levels of ethylene oxide.

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) classified the chemical as a pesticide not authorised for use in food.

Nonetheless, under the Singapore Food Regulations, ethylene oxide is allowed to be used in the sterilisation of spices within a limit of 50mg per kg.

According to the SFA, "there is no immediate risk to consumption of food contaminated with low levels of ethylene oxide", but cautioned that "long-term exposure may lead to health issues" and should be minimised.

Top image from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration