Wings Launches Investigation Following Mie Sedaap Recall

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Wings Group Indonesia has launched an investigation after several variants of its Mie Sedaap instant noodles brand were recalled in several countries. Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan recalled Mie Sedaap after it was indicated that the product contained ethylene oxide.  

"We are conducting further investigations with the domestic authorities and the countries concerned," Wings Group Indonesia's head of corporate communications & CSR Sheila Kansil said as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, October 11.

Sheila said the investigation was launched to ensure the quality of Mie Sedaap products and to maintain consumer confidence. Sheila said that Wings Group understands that there is a lot of information circulating about Mie Sedaap.

"Instant noodle brands and other food categories (vegetables, fruits, spices, etc.) produced by various companies based in Japan, South Korea, China, India and the Philippines also experienced this incident," she said. .

As for the use of ethylene oxide, Sheila explained that this policy is common in the agricultural industry. Ethylene oxide is used as a sterilizer or antimicrobial agent in spices and grains which are still used in the United States, Canada, and many other countries.

"However, Mie Sedaap makes sure that it does not use ethylene oxide in all production lines. Mie Sedaap has met food safety standards so it is safe for consumption," he said.

The management, Sheila said, made sure that Mie Sedaap products have been approved by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM). Mie Sedaap also meets ISO 22000 certification on International Standards for Food Safety Management as well as ISO 9001 certification on International Standards for Quality Management Systems.

Three countries had refused to distribute a number of variants of Mie Sedaap citing they contain pesticides. Their local food agencies issued instructions to withdraw two Mie Sedaap instant noodle variants imported from Indonesia.

According to the BPOM's web page, the instant noodle product that was recalled in Hong Kong is different from the same brand of product circulating in Indonesia. The product circulating in Indonesia meets the existing requirements.

The Indonesian product that was recalled from circulation in Hong Kong, is the Sedaap brand's Korean Spicy Chicken Flavor Fried Noodle. This product was detected to have residues of ethylene oxide (EtO), which is not compliant with regulations in Hong Kong. The pesticide residues were found in dried noodles, chili powder, and seasonings from instant noodle products.

ANTARA

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