Philippines lifts ban on S. Korean noodles

MANILA (AFP) - Philippine authorities have lifted a ban on six brands of South Korean noodles after government tests disproved earlier reports that they had unsafe amounts of a cancer-causing chemical, health authorities said.

The Food and Drug Administration said health department tests found that the noodles made by Nongshim Co. had safe amounts of the "benzopyrene" chemical, contrary to what had previously been alleged in some media reports.

"The test results have been reassuring as all benzopyrenes have been found below the limits ... set for the recall advisory," the agency said in a statement posted on its website late on Monday.

The Philippines had ordered the recall on Oct 31, drawing a formal complaint from the South Korean embassy that insisted the noodles are safe to eat. The embassy urged the Philippines to lift the noodle ban.