Malaysian instant noodle firm conducting tests after Taiwan health authorities find carcinogenic substances

KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian instant noodle manufacturer has sent samples of its products for testing following claims that a batch of its goods contains cancer-causing substances.

According to a report by The Star on Tuesday (Apr 25), a spokesman for "Ah Lai White Curry Noodles" said the firm has sent samples to be tested by a laboratory to check for carcinogens based on claims made by Taipei’s Department of Health. 

"We have sent our samples to a lab and are awaiting the results,” said the spokesman. 

"Prior to this, we have never had a problem nor has anyone made such claims against us since we started out in 2014.” 

The spokesman also reportedly said that they do not think the noodles which were tested by the Taipei authorities were produced by the company. 

"They (Taipei's Department of Health) have not shown us their results or the samples they used but we do not think they used our instant noodles.

"This is because when we asked them what samples were used, the expiry date of the noodles did not tally with the ones we sent to Taiwan last year (in 2022)," said the spokesman, as quoted by The Star. 

According to Bernama, citing Taiwan’s Central News Agency, two types of instant noodles made by brands from Malaysia and Indonesia were found to contain a type of carcinogenic substance. 

In a statement, Taipei's Department of Health reportedly said on Monday that a batch of "Ah Lai White Curry Noodles" from Malaysia and a batch of "Indomie: Special Chicken Flavour" noodles from Indonesia both contained ethylene oxide, a chemical compound associated with lymphoma and leukemia

The findings were part of the city’s 2023 inspection of instant noodle available in Taipei. 

Testing by the Taipei authorities found that ethylene oxide was detected in both the noodles and flavour packet of the Malaysian product and the flavour packet of the Indonesian-made instant noodle, said the health department, according to Bernama. 

The unspecified retailer from which the samples were collected has reportedly been asked to pull the two products off their shelves. 

The products' importers will reportedly be fined between NT$60,000 (US$1,958) and NT$200 million.

According to information on the website of Taiwan’s Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau under the Cabinet-level Environmental Protection Administration, ethylene oxide is poisonous when consumed or inhaled.

Bernama reported that aside from leading to lymphoma and leukemia, ethylene oxide can also seriously irritate the skin and eyes of those who come into contact with the substance and can even trigger birth and hereditary defects.