Several countries in the European Union have alerted the presence of ethylene oxide in Lucky Me! Brand Noodle Products. Ethylene oxide is used as treatment against the microbiological contamination of some spices and dried aromatic herbs like sesame seeds. According to the international alerts “the contaminated product does not pose an immediate risk to health.” However, exposure to the substance should be minimized as “there may be health issues if there is continued consumption of ethylene oxide over a long period of time.”
It must be emphasized that the affected batches containing ethylene oxide were manufactured in Thailand. They were not locally produced and were not distributed in the Philippines.
As a precautionary measure, the FDA coordinated with the local manufacturer of Lucky Me! Brand Noodle Products to determine the levels of ethylene oxide in the food products. The local manufacturer of the Lucky Me! Brand Noodle Products reported to the FDA that, based on tests conducted by an independent laboratory in Vietnam, ethylene oxide was not detected in the samples submitted for the following variants: Pancit Canton Extra Hot Chili, Pancit Canton Regular, Pancit Canton Chilimansi and Instant Mami Beef Regular. These Lucky Me! instant noodle variants are safe for consumption.
However, ethylene oxide was found in the Lucky Me! Pancit Canton Kalamansi variant at a level below the EU acceptable level of 0.02 mg/kg[1]. In this regard, the FDA will study this matter to determine the appropriate risk management strategy in consultation with other government agencies, like the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The public shall be informed on any developments.
For information and dissemination.
[1]https://food.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2021-12/rasff_ethylene-oxide-incident_e410_crisis-coord_20211004_sum.pdf