The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked Asia Foods Corporation to make a report on its Gau Do (Red Bear) sour-hot shrimp flavor instant noodles as a product batch exported to Taiwan was detected to contain the unauthorized pesticide ethylene oxide (EO).

Asia Foods Corporation, headquartered in southern Binh Duong Province, must complete the report prior to November 25.

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) on November 15 announced that the batch, imported by a Taiwanese enterprise, was detected to have an EO concentration that violates Taiwan’s standards for food safety.

In particular, the EO concentration in the seasoning sachet and the dried noodles was 3.438 and 0.107 milligrams per kilogram, respectively.

To maintain the prestige of Vietnamese food products in foreign markets, the Ministry of Industry and Trade asked Asia Foods Corporation to report the name, volume, production batch, expiry date, and importing markets, and submit a copy of food self-declaration dossiers attached with testing results of its products produced and traded in Vietnam and exported to Taiwan this year.

The company was also required to report its instant noodle production process.

It will have to assess the possibility of the presence of EO in all of its instant noodle products and report corresponding solutions.

To prevent economic losses and the long-term damage to Vietnam’s prestige in trade activities, the Ministry of Industry and Trade requested the company to take caution and carefully learn about regulations as well as technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phytosanitary measures for each product in foreign markets through supporting and consulting agencies and organizations.

According to the ministry, the careful studying of the information will help minimize time and costs for enterprises, especially when their exported products are recalled for failing to meet importing countries’ requirements.

Earlier, some Vietnam’s dried noodle products exported to other countries had been recalled due to the presence of EO. 

In particular, Ireland last year recalled two batches of Hao Hao sour-hot shrimp flavor instant noodle and Good spare ribs flavor instant noodle products of Japanese-invested instant noodle maker Acecook.

In addition, the European Union recalled dried noodles with chicken and beef spices of Thien Huong Food in Norway.

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