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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Filipino micro-entrepreneurs in Europe affected by recall orders on Lucky Me! items

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By Stephanie Caesar and Aeron Bautista

The recall order issued by several countries on Lucky Me! products has affected the small businesses owned by Filipinos in Europe.

Food safety regulators in the European Union and Taiwan said Lucky Me! instant noodles and pancit canton produced in Thailand were found to contain traces of 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 minimized,” the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said.

Certain batches of Lucky Me! Instant noodles are destroyed for disposal. Photo courtesy of Gie Rodriquez

Gie Rodriguez, a micro-entrepreneur in France, said Lucky Me! Instant noodles are a staple food item regularly purchased by Filipinos living in Europe. The 33-year-old said Filipinos working abroad barely have time to cook their food most of the time, leading them to opt for instant noodles.

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She said in a short time following the release of the recall order on Lucky Me! products, there were immediate setbacks to her small business.

“Because of the situation during this time, I lost a lot as a micro-entrepreneur, with about 50-percent to 60-percent reduction in my profit,” said Rodriquez, who has been receiving products returned by customers since the recall was issued.

Gloria Charles, a Filipino who also manages a small business in France, said the impact of the recall order was still too early to see. Charles said, however, customers began returning items bought from her store.

“We are still getting items returned. Our customers are mostly concerned about the health effects,” she said.

The well-loved noodle brand among Filipinos are a must-buy product in Charles’ store.

Shady Yee, an avid consumer of Lucky Me! noodles, said the product recall would affect food consumption among overseas Filipinos. She said Lucky Me! Instant noodles are a “common food” for the working-community in Malta. Authorities in Malta issued a warning against the consumption of the products.

Yee said the recall order also created a health scare among the people she knew who also loved eating the Lucky Me! instant noodles. She said it is difficult to trust the brand again after the release of findings of the use of ethylene oxide.

Monde Nissin Philippines said in a statement it is aware of information being shared about certain Lucky Me! products in an ongoing recall in the EU and Taiwan due to the alleged presence of ethylene oxide.

Food and Drug Administration officer-in-charge director-general Dr. Oscar G. Gutierrez Jr. said the agency received reports on the ongoing recall of certain batches of “Lucky Me! Instant Pancit Canton Noodles” in European countries and Taiwan. The FDA-registered products are manufactured locally by Monde Nissin Philippines.

The FDA said following the Rapid Alert from EU, it initiated an investigation to determine if the locally produced Lucky Me! Instant Noodle Products were also affected.

Ethylene oxide is most commonly used in the production of other chemicals including the production of solvents, antifreeze, detergents, adhesives, polyurethane foam and pharmaceuticals.

“Consumption of foods containing residual ethylene oxide does not pose an acute risk to health. However, there is an emerging concern that continued exposure beyond the tolerable level over a long period of time may result in health issues,” the FDA said.

The EU, however, adopted a zero tolerance for ethylene oxide, claiming that there is no safe level of exposure for consumers in products that contain residual ethylene oxide. The EU believes that any level of residual ethylene oxide in packets of seasoning of instant noodles presents higher risk to consumers.

The FDA said it convened a series of meetings to evaluate the EU report and its implications. It said Monde Nissin Corp. is compliant with food safety based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points /Good Manufacturing Practice requirements based on latest inspections in March and July this year.

“The FDA food inspectorate has already conducted spot check inspections and collected samples for laboratory analysis. The FDA shall wait for all information, including laboratory results, before taking further action. In the meantime, the FDA will continue to coordinate with the manufacturer and to monitor the situation,” the agency said.

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