The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it had not restricted the sale and consumption of Lucky Me! instant noodles in the Philippines after the recall of its European versions.
France, Ireland, and Malta issued separate advisories warning citizens that certain batches of Lucky Me! noodles contain high levels of ethylene oxide, used to disinfect herbs and spices. The maker of the Filipino favorite earlier said its products are compliant with local food safety standards.
FDA, the authority in ensuring food quality and safety in the Philippines, said it was still investigating if the recalled products in Europe are the same ones sold in the country. The instant noodles recalled in Ireland came from Thailand, according to its advisory.
READ: What is Ethylene Oxide at the Center of Lucky Me! Recall?
"Tayo po ay wala pa pong ini-issue na anumang pagbabawal. Tayo po ay nangangalap pa ng mga datos," FDA's food safety unit officer Timothy Mendoza told TeleRadyo.
"Lucky Me" is trending on Twitter Friday morning with more than 65,000 mentions.
"Tayo po, bilang consumers, puwede maging cautious na rin but... sa ngayon kasi nandon tayo sa building up stage nung mga informaiton, 'di pa po natin masabi na malinaw, clear cut, na ito'y meron nga bang ethylene oxide o wala," Mendoza said.
The National Nutrition Council advised consumers to "be on the safe side" and avoid eating the instant noodles pending results of the FDA investigation.
"Mas mabuti po siguro iwasan muna tutal usually matagal pa expiration dates at hintayin po natin ang official advisory from FDA," Jovita Raval, chief of NNC's nutrition information and education division, told TeleRadyo.
"Hindi naman talaga pinapayo na kainin kasi isa 'yan sa highly processed food especially 'yung dagdag n'yan na sodium at saka saturated fat."
Pesticide residue, when consumed long term, can accumulate in the body and cause health risks, Raval said.
"Kung palaging kinakain ito at madalas, doon mas may danger pero kung once in a while lang, or in a month, two to three times, maybe that's prudent pero as much as possible avoid lang unless wala kang ibang choice."
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