The Food and Drug Administration Philippines has received reports on the on-going recall of certain batches of the product “Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton Noodles” in European countries and Taiwan due to the presence of the ethylene oxide on these products. In the Philippines, the FDA registered products “Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton Noodles” are manufactured locally by Monde Nissin Philippines.
For public information, ethylene oxide is a processing aid used to disinfect herbs and spices. In order to ensure that the public health is protected, the use of ethylene oxide for sterilizing purposes in food is not allowed in the European Union (EU). However, there can still be traces from the ingredients or raw materials hence the EU set a maximum residue levels at a very low level based on the type of commodity.
The FDA is currently investigating this matter and coordinating with the aforementioned food business operator to check its compliance. We shall provide updates on the result of investigation for public information.