Instant Noodles Use Wax that Causes Cancer-Fiction!

Instant Noodles Use Wax that Causes Cancer-Fiction!

 
Summary of eRumor:
 
A Facebook post warns that instant noodles contain a wax coating that can cause cancer and requires up to two days for the body to digest.

The Truth:
 

This eRumor contains a mixture of false and unproven claims about the use of wax in instant noodles and other food products.

Health Digest, a health and wellness website, posted the claim on its Facebook page in August 2014 with the tag line, “Something to think about. True or False?” More than half a million Facebook users shared the post within the first day, which made it appear Health Digest was reporting the eRumor as fact.

In reality, there is no proof that instant noodle manufacturers use wax in their products. Packaging labels for Nissin Foods’ instant noodles don’t reveal any ingredients that resemble wax, according to its website.

The Truth or Fiction Team reached out to Nissin Foods, and future updates will be posted here.

Still, many processed foods like nuts, candies, coffee beans and fresh fruits contain a wax that is secreted from a Brazilian palm tree called carnauba wax, according to a

report by the European Commission on Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General.

The commission concluded that carnauba wax had no adverse side effects on humans.

 
Posted 08/07/14