The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE) has identified three types of instant noodles and ice cream trademarks originating from Thailand, Vietnam and France that are suspected to contain ethylene oxide, which poses a cancer risk to consumers.
The general department has put in place immediate measures to recall the products and ban their sale.
The GDCE’s letter on Friday informed the directors of the relevant branches and offices of the Customs and Excise department of the warning issued by food safety authorities of some European Union (EU) countries.
The letter continues that in order to protect public health, food safety and the welfare of consumers, the department is imposing temporary measures against these products.
From yesterday onwards all imports of the instant noodles “Lucky Me!” made in Thailand, “Hao Hao” noodles made in Vietnam and “Haagen-Dazs” vanilla ice cream made in France must be accompanied by a certificate of ethylene oxide analysis from the food safety inspection authority of the exporting countries.
Director-general of the Ministry of Commerce’s Consumer Protection Phan Oun, said that after receiving the information about the ethylene oxide he assigned ministry officials to check all supermarkets, markets and small businesses across the country, who found no such products identified in thee Cambodia market yet.
However, Oun said if the products were found on sale, vendors would be asked to remove them. — Phnom Penh Post/ANN
