HCMC – Kajiwara Junichi, general director of Acecook Vietnam, guaranteed at a press conference yesterday afternoon, August 28, that the company’s products sold in Vietnam are safe for the health of consumers, following Ireland’s warning over the contamination of the company’s Hao Hao instant noodles and Good vermicelli.
Kajiwara said Acecook Vietnam are exporting its products to 40 countries. On August 20, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland decided to ban some batches of the Hao Hao instant noodles and Good vermicelli produced by Acecook Vietnam as the products allegedly contain ethylene oxide harmful to human health.
According to Kajiwara, the products banned by Ireland were produced exclusively for the European market, so they are not used for domestic consumption.
“We guarantee that all of our products sold in Vietnam meet the country’s regulations and laws and are safe for the health of consumers. Acecook Vietnam always makes transparency, product quality and safety for users a high priority,” he said.
Kajiwara said ethylene oxide is widely used to sanitize medical equipment. It is also used to kill bacteria in some spices and dried vegetables and are accepted in some countries such as the United States and Canada.
However, ethylene oxide is prohibited in food sold in the European Union. Acecook Vietnam always complies with the prevailing regulations of the EU, Vietnam, Japan, Australia and other countries. The company does not use ethylene oxide in any preservation, production and storage process, the CEO said.
“We are inspecting all related materials and equipment to identify the cause of the incident and will take quick and effective measures to ensure the products’ quality and safety for the consumers,” Kajiwara said.
The Science and Technology Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade has asked Acecook Vietnam to respond to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s warning over the contamination of its Hao Hao instant noodles and Good vermicelli.
The ministry ordered the company to report the production processes of the Hao Hao instant noodles and Good vermicelli and clarify the differences between the batches for domestic consumption and export to evaluate the alleged existence of ethylene oxide in the two items.
The substance is not in the list of pesticides in food regulated in Circular 50 on the maximum residue levels. Besides, the ministry directed the competent units to review all the products made by Acecook Vietnam that have been distributed locally and point out whether it violated food safety regulations.
