Boric acid in your instant noodle?

Music: Sufjan Stevens - Avalanche (linked to Stereogum, click to download)

Well it's not just MSG that they're putting into these nationally accepted quick-fix meals nowadays isn't it? Boric acid is one of the active ingredients too. It is widely known to be a benzoate compound used in many products such as insecticides for fleas, termites, cockroaches and even treatment creams for vaginal yeast infections.

Here are some pictures forwarded to me by a friend of mine by e-mail today. Photos below show a casual 'tumeric test' to see if your favourite instant noodle contains high levels of boric acid. Why this should be a concern is because most people that I know living on a shoe-string budget and some occassional 'mamak stall' regulars enjoy eating Maggi or Cintan noodles on a daily basis. Medical journals state that excessive boric acid in your diet may contribute to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dermatitis, kidney damage, acute failure of the circulatory system, and even death.







Scary stuff! I wonder if they have boric acid in the flour dough used for roti canai too.