If you are Nigerian, then you must know by now that Indomie Instant noodles is one of the staple foods in Nigerian homes that is eaten across all ages, gender and economic class. It has become the king of fast food because it has very short cooking time, takes minimal culinary skills & effort and tastes great too. In fact, you can go overboard in its preparation by using an intercontinental recipe, adding an array of vegetables and meat/fish or go minimalistic and just use the manufacturer’s recipe and prepackaged seasoning and still get it to taste delicious.
It is on the backdrop of this beloved relationship with their Indomie noodles that Nigerians woke up early this week to hear that Indomie instant noodles has been banned in the country. This became what is now known as the NAFDAC VS INDOMIE NIGERIA SAGA 2023. They were not having it and the topic trended nationwide. Since the days of former NAFDAC (The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) Director-General, Prof. Dora Akunyili, of blessed memory, NAFDAC has not received a backlash this hot or trended as much.
P.S: NAFDAC under the expert leadership of Late Prof. Dora Akunyili, received backlashes due to her largely successful war against the menaceful production and sales of fake drugs.
Consequently, NAFDAC in a signed statement through her current Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has cleared the air on the circumstances surrounding the ban. According to the statement, the Indomie noodle banned is the foreign/‘Oyibo’ ‘Special Chicken Flavour’ recalled by the Ministries of Health of Taiwan and Malaysia after allegedly finding ethylene oxide in the seasoning. Ethylene oxide is an odorless, colorless gas used in medical devices manufacturing plants to halt and prevent microbial action and growth. It is reportedly carcinogenic, meaning that it has been linked to increasing the risk of cancer in an individual.
Furthermore, it stated that the Nigerian brand of Indomie is locally produced, continuously randomly sampled & tested, thus, safe for consumption.
On a similar note, Dufil Prima Foods Plc, producers of the Nigerian Indomie Instant Noodles, has reassured Nigerians of continuous local production of safe, healthy Indomie fit for consumption.
However, our concern in all this brouhaha is the high levels of sodium in the Nigerian Indomie seasoning. A super pack of Indomie (120g) is stated to contain 1,950mg of sodium which constitutes about 85% of 2300mg which is the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Hence, individuals suffering from cardiovascular conditions like hypertension, heart failure and kidney problems ought to be careful in the preparation and consumption of Indomie. Also, Indomie does not contain fiber, hence, vegetables should be added to the meal.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this article is that of the author alone.
