MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday lifted the ban on six Korean noodle products after samples yielded low levels of benzopyrenes, a carcinogenic substance.
“The test results have been reassuring, as benzopyrenes have been found below the limits of benzopyrenes set for the recall advisory. The results are all less than five parts per billion, far below the regulatory limit of 10 ppb,” a joint statement showed.
On Nov. 1, the FDA recalled Nongshim Negori noodles in hot, multi hot and mild variations; Nongshim Big Bowl Noodle Shrimp; Nongshim Saengsaeng Udon Bowl Noodle and Nongshim Saengsaeng Udon.
Last Friday, the Korean embassy had requested the Philippine government to lift the recall, claiming that the laboratory analysis that they conducted had placed “the level of benzopyrene found in the noodle powder, which ranges from 0.4 to 1.6 pbb, was extremely low and has no harmful effect on the human body.”