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Q1 What is instant noodle?
According to the CODEX*1 STANDARD FOR INSTANT NOODLES, "the instant noodle may be
Activities packed with noodle seasonings, or in the form of seasoned noodle and with or without noodle
garnish(s) in separate pouches, or sprayed on noodle and ready for consumption after dehydration
process." Instant Noodle is defined as "a product prepared from wheat flour and/or rice flour and/or
About Instant Noodles other flours and/or starches as the main ingredient, with or without the addition of other ingredients.
It may be treated by alkaline agents. It is characterized by the use of pregelatinization process and
dehydration either by frying or by other methods."
Approach to Food Safety *1 International food code developed jointly by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
and the World Health Organization (WHO).
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1. Fried noodles
Noodles in a metal mold are fried in the oil at 140-160˚C for a minute or two. Moisture content
of the dough is reduced from a 30-40% level to a 3-6% level, and pregelatinization is
accelerated in this process.
2. Non-fried noodles
This is literally noodles that are not fried in oil. Noodles in a metal mold are put into an air-drier
and dehydrated with hot air at approximately 80˚C for more than 30 minutes. The noodles
made with this method are "air-dried noodles."
Other than the above mentioned, "Raw-type instant noodles" are steamed noodles which are sterilized
with organic acid (mainly lactic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, malic acid, etc.).
Between fried and non-fried noodles, remarkable differences lie in moisture- and fat- contents. Fried
noodles have significantly less moisture content than non-fried noodle. On the other hand, when it
comes to fat, one serving of fried noodles typically contain approximately 20g of fat, while non-fried
noodles only contain 4-6g or one-fourth of fat, because they are not fried in oil.
The main components of instant noodles are protein, fat, carbohydrate, woodash, moisture, etc.
The largest portion is carbohydrate, which accounts for 60g per 100g of instant noodles. It is
because the main material of noodles is wheat flour. 8.4-10.7g of protein and 4.6-7.7g of ash are
contained in 100g of instant noodles. The contents vary slightly, depending on the type and
blending of wheat flour.
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Viscosity stabilizers:
This additive is polysaccharide to increase viscosity and smoothness. Algin acid and pectin, etc.,
extracted from seaweeds, beans, apples, oranges are used as viscosity stabilizers.
Emulsifiers:
Emulsifiers spread oil and fat evenly and stabilize the product quality. Typically, plant lecithin, which
can be produced in the refining process of soybean oil is used.
Colors:
To maintain noodle color constant, gardenia dye gained by heating saccharides such as glucose
and sugar, and carotene extracted from carrot are used.
Q5 What is "kansui"?
Kansui is an indispensable component for instant noodles. Not only does it provide viscous
elasticity, it also adds a special flavor specific to Chinese noodles. In China kansui originally meant
water containing wood ashes or mineral rich well water, however now it referrers to the water
containing one or more of the following―potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogen
carbonate, and potassium or sodium in the phosphate group. The components of kansui are
included in the list A (1), the category of the highest safety, by FAC/WHO.
Kansui develops the flavonoid color to a light yellow. Approximately 0.1-0.2g of kansui is used in
instant noodles of 100 g, but 0.3-0.6g in case of non-fried noodles. With alkaline pH value at 7-8, it
enhances flavor coupled with soup.
Just for the referece, the daily energy requirement is said to be 2,450-2,650kcal for an adult male
and 1,950-2,000kcal for an adult female*2.
*2 Dietary Standard for the Japanese, 2010 (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan)
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Instant noodles are the grand sum of food preservation technology. The measures to improve
preservability are as follows.
3. Lipid antioxidant
Raw materials with oil and fat are carefully selected in view of oxidative stability. To prevent
deterioration of oil and fat, they are not heated excessively in processing. Moreover, natural
vitamin E, which has an antioxidant effect, is added. Therefore, we do not have to worry about
the quality deterioration resulting from oxidation of oil and fat.
Q8 What are the tips for stocking instant noodles after purchase?
You can prevent quality deterioration of instant noodles and enjoy their good taste if you keep to the
following four points.
If you store instant noodles near odorous substances such as "repellent," "insecticide," "detergent,"
"deodorizer," "cosmetics," etc., migration of odor components could happen.
Oil and fat works as a heating medium in theproduction stage and gives fatty acid necessary for the
human body. Also oil and fat plays an important role by enhancing flavor and the sense of fullness.
On the other hand, foods containing oil and fat can be deteriorated by oxidation, and can damage
flavor and cause nasty smells. To prevent oxidation, oil and fat used in instant noodles is strictly
monitored and controlled.
Palm oil, genuine lard, sesame oil, etc., or a blend of them are used to fry noodles. Frying machines
are designed so that noodles are always fried in fresh oil, and the volume of oil in the frying tub is
controlled to be constant. To keep the oil absorbed by noodles fresh, the production process is
strictly controlled as explained below.
Control the frying oil temperature at 140-150˚C. (The frying oil at ordinary household is180˚C/).
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Quickly cool down the noodles and oil after frying.
Use shielding containers and packaging materials to keep out of humidity, sun light, and air.
The "acid value" of finished products is checked as a quality indicator. Like this, good flavor and
quality of instant noodles are protected by strictly controlling oil and fat.
The three types of instant noodle seasonings are powder-type, liquid-type and granulated powder-
type. Among them, powder-type has the largest share.
Basic seasoning: salt, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, edible oil, etc.
Natural extracts: meat extract, seafood, kelp, fungi, etc.
Dehydrated powders: meats, seafoods, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, etc.
Spices: pepper, allspice, bay leaf, garlic, red pepper, etc.
1. Pre-treatment
Paste-like materials and liquid materials such as natural extracts are dehydrated, together with
salt, etc. and crushed into a powder.
2. Pre-mixing
The raw materials in small volumes such as spices and amino acid are pre-mixed.
3. Mixing
The pre-treated and pre-mixed items are mixed with other raw materials. The temperature and
humidity of the mixing room are kept constant so that the raw materials stay dry for the next
step.
4. Inspection
5. Subdivided packing
After inspection, the powdered seasoning is put into sachets by filling instrument.
(Occasionally, the sachet comes with liquid soup and paste-like soup with fat. Sealing condition
and weight are checked.
Garnishes of instant noodles have an important role; not only do they improve flavor and nutrition
balance, they also please the eyes.
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Hot air
Hot air is applied to fresh garnishes. This is the most common method to dehydrate garnishes,
mainly vegetables.
Retort
Retort food is cooked food filled in pouches, which are tightly sealed, followed by sterilization
using heat and pressure. The materials are sterilized in autoclave at the thermal death point of
heat-resistant spore-forming bacteria. By sterilizing at 120˚C for four minutes or by an equally
effective sterilization method, long time storage at ambient temperature is realized.
Garnishes are controlled in accordance with, size, weight, moisture content, water activity,
microbe, resiliency as well as color, appearance, flavor, foreign matters.
Many instant noodles are fortified with calcium, vitamin B1, B2, etc., which are necessary for your
health. While enjoying the food, you can take in the nutrition of the daily needs. However, no matter
what food you may eat, if you eat only that food, nutrition will be ill-balanced. For balanced dietary
life, please eat various foods, such as fish and vegetables, together with instant noodles.
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