Some big-name instant noodle producers have come under fire after they were found to use packaging containing excessive levels of fluorescent agents, suspected of causing cancer, and some packaging is said to be made from waste paper.

Master Kong Beef Noodle, Uni-President Pickled Cabbage Beef Noodle, Nongshim Spicy Cabbage Instant Noodle and Jinmailang Beef Noodle were on the list.

All of the noodles are available at Shanghai supermarkets and stores. The Shanghai Industrial and Commercial Administrative Bureau didn't commented on the case yesterday.

Beijing-based, independent International Food Packaging Association said yesterday it tested the packaging of six instant noodles bought randomly from supermarkets in Beijing in November. The outer packaging paper of all the six samples showed excessive levels of fluorescent agents, Beijing News reported yesterday.

Paper not suitable to food packaging, or even waste paper, was probably used by these producers, said Dong Jinshi, deputy director of the Beijing association.

Some producers adopted double standards for the inner paper and outer paper of their food packaging because there is no national standard for the outer paper. Testing agencies usually only check the inner paper, Dong said. Producers send the inner paper to be tested, but wrap it with an outer layer of poor-quality paper packaging, Dong said.

The substances on the outer paper leak into the inner part, causing harm to people's health, and it is also a health hazard because consumers touch the printed package of the outer paper, the association said.

Dong called for improvement of national regulations.

In Shanghai, however, the mainland headquarters of Uni-President is denying the results.

Wu Guili, a public relations official with Uni-President Shanghai, said its products are safe and the governmental National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment is challenging the test results.

The governmental center said on its website that pulp paper is required to be used as inner packaging of paper bowls of instant noodles, while there is no standard for the outer paper.

But the outer paper poses no food safety concerns, the center said. It said the accusation is not scientific as the report did not specify how the substance could leak into the inner paper and provided no detailed figures.

Tianjin-based Master Kong said it had no immediate response.

Other two companies were not available for comment yesterday.

It was not the first time that the Beijing association made such accusations. It said Lipton milk tea powder, Kraft's banana and milk taste biscuit and Nissin's shrimp meat instant noodle had the same problem in August.

Shanghai consumer Jin Jialin said he is avoiding instant noodles. "I have no idea about the inner or outer paper of packaging, but I know fluorescent agents cause harm to people's health and instant noodles are not healthy."

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