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Remember all the times your mother would say, “Eat some more instant noodles la then get cancer!”
She may just be right this time.
Taipei’s Health Department has found two types of Southeast Asian instant noodles to be carcinogenic.
According to Focus Taiwan, ethylene oxide — a chemical compound associated with lymphoma and leukaemia– was detected in a batch of Malaysia’s Ah Lai White Curry Noodles and a batch of Indonesia’s Indomie Special Chicken Flavour noodles.
Taipei’s Department of Health said that ethylene oxide was detected in both the noodles and flavour packet of the Malaysian product but only in the flavour packet of the Indonesian product.
As reported by Focus Taiwan, Taiwan’s Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau, ethylene oxide is poisonous when consumed or inhaled.
Furthermore, ethylene oxide can also seriously irritate the skin and eyes of anyone who comes into contact with the substance and even trigger birth and hereditary defects.
Taipei authorities have since ordered for the noodles to be pulled off the shelves and the products’ importers to be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$200 million.
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