Noodles could be a health risk, researchers say

Recent research has found people who eat noodles produced by 10 major local manufacturers risk ingesting substances that can cause liver cancer: aflatoxins and ammonium aluminium sulphate.

The findings are based on work by a team of researchers from Silpakorn University's Department of Food Technology.

Sopark Sonwai, who leads a group of researchers, said they had investigated the contamination of toxic substances in the noodlemanufacturing process in 10 local factories across country since 2006. They have found that all manufacturers mixed used oil with new oil to produce noodles in a bid to prevent noodles cracking.

He explained that used oil contained polar compounds dangerous to the human body. These could cause high blood pressure and coronary heart disease.

Additionally, citing a study on animals he said polar compounds could cause cells to mutate and cause skin cancer, lung tumours and leukaemia.

Further research also found a high level of contaminated aflatoxins in the production of noodles. This substance is toxic to the liver and causes liver cancer.

Researchers also found that a high level of ammonium aluminium sulphate, or ammonium alum contamination in the production process, amounting to 620 milligrams per kilogram.

Sopark said at present, there were no regulations controlling ammonium alum contamination in noodles. But he said the amount was higher and more dangerous to human health than the level in drinking water. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a standard that allows a small amount of ammonium alum in water.

"If cooked noodles taste sour, you should avoid eating them," he advised.

However, he said there was no information yet proving the amount of contamination would be reduced or destroyed after noodles were cooked at high temperatures.

The FDA is now trying to encourage manufacturers to make noodles using healthier processes, giving as examples two factories in Chanthaburi and Mukdahan provinces.