Lucky Me! says products safe to eat, ethylene oxide used in treatment of materials

Philippine instant noodle maker Lucky Me! on Thursday clarified that its products do not contain ethylene oxide, saying the substance was used in the treatment of some raw materials .

“We would like to clarify that ethylene oxide is not added in Lucky Me! products. It is a commonly used treatment in spices and seeds to control microbial growth typical in agricultural products,” Lucky Me! said in a statement.

It said the materials may still show traces of ethylene oxide when processed into seasoning and sauces.

“Rest assured that all Lucky Me! products are Philippine FDA registered and comply with local food safety standards and even the US FDA standards for Ethylene Oxide,” it added.

The statement comes as a number of territories such as Ireland, France, and Malta released health safety warnings due to the presence of ethylene oxide.

Similar warnings from the countries noted that a batch of the original flavored Lucky Me! instant pancit canton noodles which originated in Thailand with a best before date of July 20, 2022 was found to have had “unauthorised” pesticide ethylene oxide.

“Although the consumption of the contaminated product does not pose an acute risk to health, there may be health issues if there is continued consumption of ethylene oxide over a long period of time. Therefore, exposure to this substance needs to be minimised,” the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said in its advisory.

Meanwhile, the Department of Information of Malta, in an advisory, also warned against the consumption of other pancit canton flavors such as hot chili, kalamansi, chilimansi, and instant noodle soup beef flavor.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now investigating the alleged high level of ethylene oxide found in the Filipino instant noodles brand.

During a briefing, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said they will give information on the result of the investigation in the coming days.

“Itong ethylene oxide, apparently na sinasabi nilang kasama sa pagkain na ito, ito ay may mga sintomas na maaaring magkaroon ng pananakit ng ulo, maaaring nagsusuka ang mga tao, maaring magkaroon ng loose bowel movement, at maaari rin na sa far side o do’n sa extreme po, mahihirapan huminga at magkakaroon ng difficulty in breathing, parang pagod na pagod, at iba,” she said.

(This ethylene oxide, which they say were found in this food, can cause headaches, vomiting, loose bowel movement, and for extreme cases, difficulty in breathing, and feeling of exhaustion, among others.)

In an advisory, FDA said it is not coordinating with the food business operator "to check its compliance."

It said the Lucky Me! products in the country are manufactured locally by Monde Nissin Philippines.

Lucky Me! manufacturer Monde Nissin’s wholly-owned subsidiaries include Monde Nissin International Investments Ltd., and Monde Nissin Singapore Pte. Ltd. (MNSPL).

MNSPL in turn owns 100% of Monde Nissin New Zealand Ltd., and 56.54% of Monde Nissin Thailand Co. Ltd. It also owns Monde Nissin (UK) Limited which controls 100% of Marlow Foods Limited, which manufactures the meat alternative products.

Products from plants in the Philippines and Thailand are exported across the globe, including countries in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe, North America, and Australia.—with Giselle Ombay/AOL, GMA News