“We would like to emphasize that … our Indomie instant noodles are safe for consumption,” Taufik Wiraatmadja, a member of the board of directors at Indofoods, said in a statement issued Friday. Health officials in Malaysia and Taiwan said this week they had detected a compound called ethylene oxide in Indomie’s “special chicken” flavor noodles. Ethylene oxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is used to sterilize medical devices and spices. Indomie first launched instant noodles in 1972 with a chicken flavor. Unlike most types of instant ramen, Indomie noodles are typically eaten dry, without needing to prepare soup.

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