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 Daily
Independent Online.
* Monday,June 14, 2004.
NAFDAC releases findings on Indomie, decries firm’s behaviour
By Muyiwa Dare
Business Reporter,
Lagos.
The National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has expressed concern over the
attitude of De-United Foods Industries, manufacturers of Indomie
Instant Noddles for announcing that the product has been approved for
consumption when results of investigation was yet to be made public by it.
Indomie had attracted some attention recently when cases of vomiting,
stooling and other reactions were reported after it was allegedly
consumed.
NAFDAC had, on the basis of the outcome of
its preliminary investigations, instantly ordered the firm to withdraw
those batche ssuspected to be contaminated from the market
Although NAFDAC expressed surprise that
while the result of its investigation was yet to be made public, the
De-United embarked on massive advertisement to promote the product,
adding that it was this that necessitated setting the records straight to
safeguard the health of the nation.
NAFDAC disclosed that it responded to
public outcry about the people, who got sick after consuming Indomie
Noodles, by meeting with the management of the company, and quality
control managers interviewed, after which the factories in Otta and Port
Harcourt were closed down, pending the conclusion of investigation.
It added that the two major distribution
warehouses in Lagos and Port Harcourt were also put on hold, as samples
were collected from major distributors, markets and retail outlets
identified as purchasing points of the product, as well as family members
of the complainants, before they were sent to NAFDAC laboratories for
analyses.
According to the agency, investigation
conducted covered the possible contamination sources such as water
system, raw materials, stores, as well as the 23 reported cases of
stooling and vomiting in various states of the federation.
“In the laboratory findings, the microbial
assessment of the samples analysed was within acceptable limits. Chemical
contaminants, such as heavy metals, cyanide, petroleum and petroleum
products derivatives, etc, were not detected. Under toxicology test
results of the affected batches tested on laboratory animals revealed
that all the animals showed ill heath but recovered after 24 hours,”
NAFDAC disclosed.
It explained further that since the usual
parameters for testing processed food did not indicate any contaminant,
other parameters were used to identify any type of contamination. The
step resulted in the identification of carbofuran (pesticide residue) in
some batches “at levels above acceptable limit. This was further detected
to be from the seasoning and chilli both of which were imported.”
“Carbofuran has acute toxicity which
includes diarrhoea, vomiting chest pain, blurred vision, anxiety and
general muscular weakness when people are exposed to levels above the
maximum contaminant level”, it added.
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