The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has denied claims that it has banned Indomie Instant Noodles from its stores.
"NAFDAC did not ban Indomie Instant Noodles produced in Nigeria," claimed the regulatory body's Director-General, Prof Mrs Mojisola Adeyeye, on Monday.
NAFDAC has registered various local manufacturers, and the Indomie noodles are safe to consume. The noodles from Taiwan and Malaysia have nothing to do with our local producers."
The statement reassures consumers who were misled by a series of deceptive publications that the product had been banned by the regulator.
The claimed identification of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing chemical detected in Indomie's "special chicken" flavor in Taiwan and Malaysia by health inspectors in both countries, prompted a deluge of local newspapers.
"We would like to assure our valued customers in Nigeria that all packs of Indomie Instant Noodles consumed in Nigeria are produced locally under strict international best manufacturing procedures with ISO certified standards," said Tope Ashiwaju, Group Corporate Communications and Event Manager, Dufil Prima Foods Limited.
"We adhere strictly to the standard procedures set by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) in all our manufacturing processes.
"We use only the finest ingredients, sourced from reputable suppliers, and our production facilities are regularly inspected and audited to ensure that they meet the highest standards."
The Indomie Instant Noodles consumed in Nigeria is produced locally by Dufil Prima Foods Limited and had produced Indomie Instant Noodle in Nigeria for almost three decades.
