The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) said that four variants of Lucky Me are safe for consumption and those are Pancit Canton Extra Hot Chili, Pancit Canton Regular, Pancit Canton Chilimansi, and Instant Mami Beef Regular. Presence of ethylene oxide was not found in these products and is safe to eat.
In a statement, the FDA said it coordinated with the local manufacturer of this instant noodle brand “to determine the levels of ethylene oxide in the food products" as it is not a safe chemical.
“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,” the agency said in a statement on Friday, July 15.
“Ethylene oxide was found in the Lucky Me! Pancit Canton Kalamansi variant at a level below the EU [European Union] acceptable level of 0.02 mg/kg,” the FDA reported.
“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 agency said.
To recall, the governments of Ireland, Malta, and France recently issued health warnings against specific Lucky Me! products as “high levels of ethylene oxide” were supposedly found in these products.
“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,” the FDA said.
The agency said that based on 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.”
You mean, there can be fake noodles?
No really. It is about manufacturing of noodles that contained Ethylene Oxide.