The National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC on Monday announced it has banned further importation of the noodle foods.
The agency said it’s action came from a scare over fears that the food is major cause of cancer.
NAFDAC said it banned further importation pending the conclusion of its laboratory tests to ascertain claims that the food causes cancer.
The scare in Nigeria is caused by reports that the Taiwan and Malaysian authorities had stopped the sale of the chicken flavour of the products following the detection of substance, ethylene oxide, a substance known to cause cancer, in the product.
The health department in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, had said it detected ethylene oxide in two types of instant noodles, including the Indomie chicken flavour, following random inspections.
It said the detection of ethylene oxide in the product did not comply with standards.
Ethylene oxide is a colourless, odourless gas that is used to sterilise medical devices and spices and has been described as a cancer-causing chemical.
Prof Moji Adeleye, Director General of NAFDAC said the investigation would commence on Tuesday May 2.
Noodles is a fast food that has become very popular in many homes in Nigeria.
There are varieties of the product in the country.
NPO Reports that many producers of the food in Nigeria are making efforts to dissociate their products from those imported into Nigeria with claims that products in the country are produced with strict adherence to health regulations.