Kenyans Warned Against Eating Indomie Noodles over Safety Concerns

Kenyans have been warned against consuming Indomie noodles over safety concerns.

The Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) issued the warning following suspicions of toxic varieties in the country. It is feared that some Indomie variants being sold in the Kenyan market contain high aflatoxins, hence unfit for human consumption.

The federation on Wednesday urged Kenyan consumers to cease buying and eating the food product until relevant authorities conduct safety tests.

“We advise consumers to refrain from either consuming and or purchasing any imported Indomie until necessary verification is conducted by the Kenya Bureau of Standards and other relevant agencies,” COFEK said in a statement.

COFEK similarly called on suppliers, supermarkets and shops to withdraw the product pending the conclusion of tests.

“Those who may have purchased Indomie are requested to ensure samples are tested in credible laboratories before consumption. We urge all responsible supermarkets and other retailers of Indomie to voluntarily get the product off the shelf for a couple of weeks as tests are conducted,” COFEK added.

The federation urged KEBS to “demonstrate some level of urgency and decisiveness in condemning suspected contaminated food.”

“We do not agree necessarily that same product genuinely or deceptively labeled to have been imported from a different country other than the confirmed ones would be safe,” read the report.

This comes barely a week after Egypt banned Indomie’s chili packets and the chicken and vegetable flavor packets from its market after safety tests revealed that they contained aflatoxins and pesticide residues in quantities that exceeded safe limits.

Following the ban, COMESA Competition Commission urged its member states including Kenya to stop the importation of the product.