5 Frequently Asked Questions on Instant noodles

1. What are instant noodles?

Instant noodles or instant ramen are noodles prepared from wheat flour and or rice flour or any other flours that are precooked and dehydrated either by frying or by other methods. 

Instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando of Nissin foods in Japan. Ando started selling his precooked noodles in 1958 and the original chicken flavoured noodles were named as chikin ramen. (1)

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2. Are instant noodles deep fried?

There are fried as well as non-fried noodles available in the market.

Generally fried noodles are more popular in the Asian countries. Noodles undergo frying at about 140-160 degree Celsius for a few minutes (mostly less than 2 minutes).

Frying helps quickly dehydrate the noodle block and also helps in creating the characteristic flavour and texture. The dehydration of noodles significantly increases their shelf life.

3. Are instant noodles junk food?

Foods & beverages which are low in vital nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fibre and at the same time high in calories, fat, added sugar and/or salt are generally referred to as junk food. (2)

Instant noodles in general contain about 200-400 kcal (837-1673 kJ) per serving. Most of the products contain quite a lot of Sodium. The dietary fibre quantity is meagre in most of the products. 

Most of the instant noodle products contain little added sugar. There are few brands which add certain minerals like calcium, Iron, Potassium etc. The presence of vitamins is almost negligible. The protein content of most of the noodle products is below 10%.

Personally I feel most of the instant noodle products available in the world can be considered as junk food. But at the same time companies always produce what is expected from the consumers. If we ask for healthier options they will provide the same and many companies are continuously trying to improve their products in the nutritional perspective.

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4. Why are instant noodles so popular?

Instant noodles are popular for multiple reasons. They are offered in different types of packaging materials such as cups, bowls and in bags.

One of the most important reasons for their popularity is their quick cooking time. Most of the instant noodles or ramen can be cooked in less than 5 minutes. As the lives of people in general and especially in cities are getting more and more busy, foods that can be cooked quickly started becoming popular.

The preparation method of instant ramen is also very easy. The cooking instructions to be followed is clearly mentioned on the products. People without good knowledge of cooking can also prepare them by simply following the instructions.

Cup noodles and bowl noodles offer exceptional convenience. They are portable and in most of the cases microwavable. They can be consumed on the go or at school or work. We don’t need any bowls and utensils to consume them. This removes the dish washing effort.

Instant noodles are quite shelf stable and are relatively cheap compared to other packaged foods. Most of the brands have at least 6 months of shelf life.

The instant ramen became famous in most parts of the world because the companies offered flavours suitable to local tastes. Most of the brands of noodles contain flavour enhancers such as MSG or naturally present glutamates. The synergistic effect of fats, Sodium, flavour enhancers and various spices such as garlic, peppers, fenugreek powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder etc. make the noodles taste addictively good.

Instant ramen are also available in almost all the flavours such as beef, chicken, shrimp, pork, egg, hot and spicy, chilli, soy sauce, masala etc. This provides lot of options to choose from for the end consumers. This is also one of the reasons why instant noodles got quite famous across the world.

5. Are instant noodles carcinogenic?

There was a claim in the social media that instant ramen contain wax and the noodle strands don’t stick to each other because of it. It was also mentioned that this wax causes cancer.

This claim is totally false and baseless. Instant noodles don’t contain wax. The ingredients used in the manufacturing of noodles are clearly mentioned on the label.

There was also an other claim that Maggi noodles produced in India contain pork fat. This is also completely false.

Companies producing noodles need to follow food safety guidelines and strict quality control practices as depicted by the laws in the respective countries. They are also frequently audited by the local food safety authorities and certification bodies.