Source: Fortune Eromonsele

The Director-General of the food and drug regulator, NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has officially debunked a widely circulated video and audio message claiming that the agency shut down the Tummy Tummy noodles facility in Anambra State and banned the sale of tinned tomatoes and Maggi cubes nationwide.

In a statement released on Wednesday, NAFDAC described the message as “completely false and misleading,” noting that the same recording had previously surfaced in October 2023 and was thoroughly investigated at the time.

No Factory Was Sealed

Addressing the specific claims, the agency clarified that no manufacturing facility was sealed. According to NAFDAC, an unscheduled inspection was indeed carried out at the Tummy Tummy noodles factory, during which four variants of noodles were sampled and tested at its Agulu laboratory.

The viral audio also alleged that the noodles contained “acetyl methyl” as a preservative. However, NAFDAC firmly stated that no such substance was found in any of the tested samples.

No Ban on Maggi or Tinned Tomatoes

Similarly, the agency refuted the rumour that it had banned tinned tomatoes or Maggi seasoning cubes.

“There is no such ban in place,” the statement emphasized, urging the public to disregard the viral message and refrain from spreading false information.

Comprehensive Food Safety Testing

NAFDAC further explained that in response to public concerns in 2023 about potential contamination of instant noodles with ethylene oxide, it had conducted detailed safety assessments at both the factory and retail levels.

Tests confirmed that:

• No ethylene oxide or its derivatives were present in any locally produced noodles or seasonings.
• Additional checks for mycotoxins and heavy metals returned values within internationally accepted safety limits.

Call for Caution on Social Media Claims

The agency stressed the importance of verifying health-related information before sharing it, especially on social media platforms where misinformation spreads rapidly.