Nielsen data shows that in the first half of 2020, the overall sales volume of the instant noodle industry increased by 5.6% year-on-year, and sales increased by 11.5% year-on-year. Under the influence of the "home economy" of the epidemic, people have left their previous distrust of instant noodles behind and found its "cuteness" instead. And the instant noodles themselves also bring surprises to consumers. When did instant noodles also taste like real hand-rolled noodles? Instant noodles, which have gradually faded out of the vision of people who are experiencing consumption upgrades, have returned with more and more advanced production processes. Put it on the table and you may not believe it's a convenience food.
Professor Shen Qun of the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University said that the consumption pattern in the post-epidemic era will undoubtedly inject new impetus into the instant noodle industry, and instant noodles will be active on people's tables for a long time as a healthy convenience staple food.
Palm oil, the raw material for the preparation of instant noodles
Are you still biased against it?
For a long time, instant noodles were almost synonymous with junk food. In particular, people have different opinions about the palm oil used to fry instant noodle cakes, some people say that eating palm oil will induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and some people say that the United States and the European Union are boycotting palm oil, there must be a problem.
Experts have long affirmed that palm oil is as reliable as other vegetable oils. China became the largest importer of palm oil in 2020, accounting for 20% of the total market. In life, the application of palm oil can be seen everywhere. Fried instant noodles, french fries, fried chicken nuggets, and are sometimes used to make margarine, shortening and halal foods. It is rich in vitamin A (500 to 700 mg/kg) and vitamin E (500 to 800 mg/kg), and has a high edible value. Since palm oil contains only the right amount of oleic acid, a trace amount of linoleic acid and a variety of natural antioxidants, it is the best choice for frying instant noodle cakes.
Consumers' perception of palm oil began in the 1980s, when the U.S. soybean oil market was hit by cheap palm oil imports from Malaysia, and in order to protect the local market, the American Soybean Association put forward the concept that "palm oil is harmful to human health and should be excluded from the country" and vigorously promoted it. The rationale is that palm oil contains up to 50% more saturated fatty acids, which significantly increase blood cholesterol concentrations. Not to be outdone, Malaysia immediately established the Palm Oil Research Institute and hired 50 experts from 9 countries to conduct nutritional and health trials of palm oil. At the subsequent International Palm Oil Conference "Nutrition and Health" group, the comprehensive research results of experts and professors showed that the saturated acid (mainly palmitic acid) in palm oil was "neutral" to blood cholesterol concentration. The test shows that about 10% of the niacin oleic acid contains a special molecular (glycostridyl) structure, rich in concomitants (tocopherol 50 mg / 100 g; tocotrienols 70 mg / 100 g; β - carotene 45 mg / 100 g) and other components, their comprehensive physiological efficacy makes palm oil stand out among many tropical vegetable oils - not only does not increase blood cholesterol concentration, but also inhibits the occurrence of breast cancer.
Not only that, palm oil is easily absorbed by the human body and is a good and beneficial source of energy for humans. Palm oil differs from other oils in that it contains 40% to 47% palmitic acid, which can increase the concentration of high-density lipoprotein in the human blood and prevent vascular diseases. In addition, palm oil is a source of vitamin E, and refined palm oil contains 360 to 600 mg/kg of vitamin E, which can prevent cell aging and arteriosclerosis, and can reduce cholesterol levels in blood sugar. Palm oil is also a rich source of vitamin A and carotene. Therefore, from a nutritional and health point of view, palm oil is a natural health type of oil.
Soft canning technology brings a real taste
Retain more nutrients
Today's convenience food has five or six packs of ingredients. Convenient vermicelli snail powder, ingredients from solid to liquid, large bags and small bags are very ritualistic. High-end instant noodles that focus on restoring the original taste of ingredients, large pieces of meat that retain the texture of shredded meat... Professor Shen Qun of the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University introduced that behind every upgrade in the taste and appearance of instant noodles is the progress of food science and technology.
Manufacturers will apply the "soft can" technology to the consumption upgrade of instant noodles, for consumers tired of dehydrated vegetables and freeze-dried meat, it is undoubtedly a novel experience to be able to eat genuine meat in instant noodles.
"Soft cans", as the name suggests, have similar processing principles and methods to rigid cans, except that the packaging containers are soft. The contents after high temperature sterilization are stored in a composite film, which is more convenient for assembly, sale and carrying than rigid cans. At the same time, the packaging of the composite film of the soft can has the characteristics of fast heat transfer, which greatly retains the appearance and taste of the ingredients. In the rapid high temperature sterilization procedure, the nutrients of the contents are rarely destroyed, and the nutritional value has been greatly improved compared with freeze-dried meat.
In addition to the innovation of ingredient contents, instant noodle manufacturers have also been pursuing the perfection of noodle taste, instant noodle cakes are usually wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap, and opaque fancy bags are also more shaded.
Instant noodles bring more than just a sense of security
And comfort
The surge in sales of instant noodles during the quarantine period is enough to see people's demand and dependence on instant noodles at this special time when they must stay at home. When contact is cut off, instant noodles provide a sense of security in food.
In the method of cooking instant noodles, soaking in boiling water is only the most basic one. Looking at major video websites, videos teaching people how to make instant noodles into "unaffordable looks" abound. After cooking and then stir-frying, adding a wealth of fresh seasonal vegetables and meat as an ingredient, or as a staple food, put it in a spicy mix, troop pot, wait a moment, instant noodles can always bring warm enjoyment. Chinese seems to have a crush on the noodles more than any other staple food, a food that has been around for more than 3,000 years and always appears on our tables in a variety of ways. Instant noodles blend modern technology and dietary traditions and are the result of Chinese wisdom.
Professor Shen Qun suggested that in order to achieve the purpose of nutritional balance, it is a good choice to add fresh vegetables and meat when cooking instant noodles. Taking a step back, the ingredients included in instant noodle products are increasingly able to meet the nutritional needs of consumers, and furthermore, adding fresh vegetables and meat in the process of cooking instant noodles is not difficult for most consumers.
Text/Li Runke
Source: Beijing Youth Daily
![Master Kong's instant noodles are about to increase in price across the board? Multiple responses[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)