Nongshim denies noodles exported to Taiwan are toxic

The Nongshim product detected with a hazardous chemical from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) [TFDA]

Nongshim refuted reports on Wednesday that a carcinogenic chemical was discovered in its products exported to Taiwan.

Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) detected 0.075 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide in the soup packet of Shin Ramyun Black Tofu & Kimchi cup noodle, according to the country’s broadcaster Chinese Television System Tuesday. Reports added that a total of 1,000 boxes containing Nongshim’s Shin Ramyun, weighing up to 1.128 kilograms, will either be sent back to Korea or destroyed.

Ethylene oxide is categorized as a group 1 carcinogen, or carcinogenic to humans, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Nongshim responded on Wednesday that the detected chemical is not ethylene oxide but 2-Chloroethanol. The latter, although a hazardous byproduct stemming from ethylene oxide, is not categorized as carcinogenic.

It is likely that the TFDA converted the detected amount of 2-Chloroethanol to ethylene oxide, Nongshim said in a statement.

The standard chemical restriction in Taiwan is 0.055 parts per million (ppm), which Nongshim exceeded by 0.02 ppm.

The detected chemical is presumed to have derived from raw material used only in Taiwanese products exported to Taiwan, and no hazardous chemicals were detected in any domestic products.

This is not the first time Nongshim has faced such allegations about its products.

Three European countries reported they detected hazardous chemicals in Nongshim’s products last year.

Italy halted sales of Kimchi Ramyun in February due to excess detection of 2-Chloroethanol.

Croatia discovered excess detection of Iprodione, which is used as a pesticide in the country, and withdrew the products. The same chemical was discovered in Iceland in August.

“We are planning to update our analysis instruments so their monitoring abilities are amplified so that problems related to raw materials do not arise again,” a Nongshim spokesperson said.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]