FDA recalls 6 Korean noodle products

MANILA, Philippines - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled six Korean noodle products after the Korean FDA had confirmed that they contained a cancer-causing substance.

The products are the Nongshim Negori noodles in hot, multi hot and mild variations; Nongshim Big Bowl Noodle Shrimp; Nongshim Saengsaeng Udon Bowl Noodle and Nongshim Saengsaeng Udon.

In an advisory, FDA director Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go said the Korean FDA had confirmed that these products contain benzopyrene, a chemical “with carcinogenic potential.”

Benzopyrene, a hydrocarbon found in coal tar and cigarette smoke, has been linked to lung, bladder and skin cancer.

The FDA coordinated with the Korean FDA after the EcoWaste Coalition had called its attention to the news reports of contaminated Korean noodles and their presence in Korean specialty stores in the Philippines.

The agency said the products “will not be permitted in the market in the future until and unless tested and cleared by competent authorities.” The FDA is also checking “other brands of noodles not currently identified to be contaminated as a precaution.”

According to oncologist Dr. Antonio Villalon, former president of the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology and Philippine College of Physicians, acquiring cancer from foods contaminated with carcinogens is not easy.

 “It would require years or prolonged exposure to the substance and an intake of a huge quantity of the products.  And if you regularly eat the noodles and you happen to develop cancer, it is difficult to prove the connection. The food and drinks that we consume since we were kids contain preservatives which are also not good for us,” he said.

Villalon clarified that he does not encourage the public to eat the noodles or any carcinogenic products. “What I can advise the public is to eat healthy food – lots of fruits and vegetables. Avoid preservatives. And also exercise regularly. Observe a healthy lifestyle,” he added.