The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recalling Mie Sedaap’s Korean Spicy Chicken instant noodles due to reported contamination of the product caused by a pesticide.
FDA deputy secretary-general Weerachai Nolwachai said the agency detected some contamination caused by ethylene oxide in two samples of the product which was manufactured in Indonesia.
The contaminated samples were from two batches: one was manufactured on Nov 25, 2021 with an expiry date of Nov 25, 2022, and the other was manufactured on Dec 7, 2021 with an expiry date of Dec 7, 2022.
He said the FDA has ordered the confiscation of the product at the importer’s warehouse and has also instructed public health officials across the country to inspect the product’s distribution.
Legal action was being considered against the importer which was also urged to recall the product, he said.
Earlier, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) recalled four Mie Sedaap instant noodle varieties due to the presence of ethylene oxide, which prompted the Thai FDA to spring into action.
Ethylene oxide is a flammable colourless gas with a sweet odour and is used as a sterilising agent. It is classified as a cancer-causing substance and causes irritation to the skin, eyes and lung tissue.