Malaysians love their instant noodles. We have an uncountable variety of those, ranging from the ubiquitous chicken flavour, the mild kari soup that grace the Mamak stalls to the fiery Tom Yam that is bound to ruffle some feathers.
But the thing with delicious meals, they are usually unhealthy. To reinforce this statement, Taipei’s Department of Health recently said that a batch of “Ah Lai White Curry Noodles” from Malaysia and a batch of “Indomie: Special Chicken Flavour” noodles from Indonesia both contained ethylene oxide, a chemical compound associated with lymphoma and leukaemia.
But what is ethylene oxide? According to the National Cancer Institute, ethylene oxide at room temperature is a flammable colourless gas with a sweet odour. It is used primarily to produce other chemicals, including antifreeze. In smaller amounts, ethylene oxide is used as a pesticide and a sterilising agent.
Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah Dr Chong Siew Koon said ethylene oxide causes lung or breast cancer when inhaled in gaseous form. But when ingested, the substance may cause stomach cancer and also cancer in the lymphoid system surrounding the gastrointestinal region.
Pretty shocking now that we think about how such a substance could be introduced into the food we eat, and love.
