Food agency dispels rumor about harmful coloring

The coloring E102 is safe and can be used in noodles and other food, the Ministry of Health’s Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) assured in response to public concerns over the recent rumor that E102, used to dye noodles yellow, has dangerous effects

Nguyen Thanh Phong, VFA’s deputy head, told Tuoi Tre that E102 is allowed for instant noodles and other food in Vietnam and many other countries.

He said the European Food Authority’s report released in 2009 shows that there is no scientific evidence to prove that E102 is unsafe for human consumption.

E102 is not classified as a cancer-causing agent by the Association for International Cancer Research, Phong said.

VFA’s assurance has put many noodle producers at ease because the rumor has made consumers hesitate to buy instant noodles.

It all started with a misleading ad

Public concerns over E102 was initially arose by a dispute between two noodle manufacturers Acecook Vietnam and Masan Food over the latter’s misleading ad last month.

In its ad, Masan Food’s Tien Vua instant noodle is shown and compared to another unnamed noodle.

While the soup in the Tien Vua bowl remains unchanged in color, the soup in the other bowl turns dark yellow, suggesting that it contains E102, which is harmful to human health.

Masan Food’s competitors said the ad would mislead viewers into thinking that any instant noodle brand other than Tien Vua is unsafe.

Some consumers say they are indeed persuaded by the ad and begin to switch from instant noodles to other types of instant food or noodles that claim to be E102-free while waiting for the official response from the Ministry of Health.

At present, E102 is used in nearly 90 percent of the instant noodle products available on the domestic market and its components are specified on products’ labels.

Instant noodle producers said the color of noodles depends on manufacturing technology, and such a coloring as E102 only serves to give instant noodles a more tasty yellow.

Consumers should take it easy because all noodle products available on the market have to pass the quality tests and meet the Vietnamese food safety and hygiene standards, said instant noodle producer Colusa – Miliket. – Tuoitrenews