Instant Noodles: Are They A Treat Or A Trick?

 

Instant noodles is a popular snack that regularly claims to be ‘fortified with vitamins’, ‘high on fibre’, ‘a source of calcium, proteins and iron’. But guess what? Thats not true!

0Comments Read MoreCalcium [2], Fats [3], Healthy Life Style [4], Instant Noodles [5], Maggi [6], Noodles [7]

Noodles—yummy, instant and very contemporary! Today, if you are not fond of noodles, you would be considered an anomaly. The Indian noodles market stands at a whopping Rs 1,000 crore — and it’s growing.

The manufacturers want us to believe that noodles are ‘taste bhi, health bhi’, a nutritious snack that may be served to kids any time they demand. Promoted to the young and the old during the last few years, a lot of new varieties have entered the market.

This most popular snack now regularly claims to be ‘fortified with vitamins’, ‘high on fibre’, ‘a source of calcium, proteins and iron’, so that you don’t feel guilty every time you reach out for a pack of noodles. If these tall claims are not enough, some brands are even endorsed by sport celebrities implying that they are good for health.
In a user survey, Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS) found that many consumers have instant noodles more than once or twice a fortnight and that too of big pack sizes. To check the manufacturers’ claims, 15 widely sold brands of noodles were tested in CERS’ in-house laboratory. The tests focused mainly on the nutritional content of instant noodles.

It was found that...

All 15 brands were high on sodium (salt), one of the banes of modern lifestyles. Many of the claims made by the manufacturers were far from the actual results shown in the lab. Most brands did not list the amount of sodium on their packets although it is the most important ingredient for consumers to know, besides the fat and sugar content.
Worse, where the brands did mention the sodium content, it was revealed that the actual content was higher than that claimed. For example, the label of Tasty Treat New Instant Schezwan Noodles mentioned a sodium content of 1.92mg/100g, whereas the tests revealed a shocking value of 1185mg/100g! The claims on proteins, calcium and iron made by various brands were also found to be at variance with the information on the label.
If you think that at a higher price you get a healthier option, you may want to think again. Knorr Soupy Noodles priced at Rs 25/100gm (the costliest among the 15 brands tested) was found to have the highest amount of salt.
This is not all. The brands claiming to have ‘oat flour’, ‘multigrains’, or just plain ‘atta’ did not fare any better in the tests than those having only ‘wheat flour’. If you are allergic to wheat flour and thought Top Ramen [8] Oat Noodles was the answer, you will be disappointed as it showed only 6.8 per cent of oat flour. The same was true for most claims in terms of vegetables, proteins and calcium. Lastly, don't be fooled into believing that they all have the same shelf life. It ranged from 6 months to 12 months.

How We Tested

There are no Indian Standards for instant noodles. CERS tested 15 brands for their nutritional characteristics. The parameters tested were moisture, total ash, acid insoluble ash, fat, crude fibre, protein, sodium, calcium, iron, carbohydrate and energy.
CERS invested around 1,725 man-day-hours and Rs 22,500 (sample cost and consumables) to test a total of 30 samples (two composite samples each of 15 brands, as explained below) of instant noodles.
Test protocol: The analysis was carried out as per the standard test protocols given in the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Manual of Meth- ods and Analysis of Food published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare [9], Government of India.
The labelling information on the sample packets was checked against the requirements as laid down under the FSS (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations, 2011. A sample of five packets, belong- ing to the same batch, of each brand was procured for testing. Out of these, three packets were opened and mixed properly to make a composite sample. This pooled sample was divided into two, the second one for a repeat test. These were then coded and tested. The remaining two pack- ets of each brand were kept as ‘counter samples’.

Key Findings

• All 15 brands tested were high in sodium content, being in the range of 821mg/100g to 1,943mg/100g. The UK FSA Standards consider 130 mg/100g to 600 mg/100g as acceptable. Knorr Soupy Noodles contained the highest sodium content of 1,943mg/100g. The lowest sodium content was in Maggi Meri Masala, at 821mg/100g.
• Only five brands – Ching’s Secret [10] Schezwan Instant Noodles, Knorr Soupy Noodles, Tasty Treat New Instant Schezwan Noodles, Tasty Treat Multigrain Noodles and Smith & Jones Masala Noodles – mentioned the amount of sodium.
• The fat content in almost all the brands was on the higher side, in the range of 14.7 per cent–18.4 per cent. As per UK FSA, 3g/100g to 20g/100g of fat is considered acceptable. Fat content was the highest in Foodles from Horlicks at 18.4g/100g and the lowest in Maggi Meri Masala at 14.7g/100g. In Maggi New Vegetable Atta Noodles the fat was found to be 17 per cent against the 13.4 per cent claimed, and in Maggi Vegetable Multigrainz Noodles it was 16.1 per cent instead of the labelled value of 13.9 per cent.
• Maggi Meri Masala had the lowest amounts of fat and sodium, and the highest amount of proteins.
• Top Ramen Oat Noodles had less than 6.8 per cent of oat fibre and about 91 per cent of wheat flour. Tasty Treat Multigrain Noodles showed about 72 per cent of wheat flour and Maggi Vegetable Multigrainz Noodles 82 per cent, with the rest containing ragi, rice, jowar and corn.
• Wai Wai X-press Instant Noodles Jain Masala and Wai Wai X-press Instant Noodles Masala Delight did not contain iron as claimed. They recorded 2.5mg and 2.6mg, respectively, against the labelled 7mg/100g.
• The average net weight of Top Ramen Super Noodles Masala and Tasty Treat Multigrain Noodles was less than the net weight declared.
• The mandatory label declaration of food additives was missing in Tasty Treat New Instant Schezwan Noodles, Foodles and Top Ramen Super Masala.

Manufacturers’ Response

As a policy, CERS conveyed the test results to all the manufacturers, irrespective of whether their brands had passed or failed. All nine manufacturers of the 15 brands of instant noodles received the results of their own products only and were given two weeks from the date of receipt to respond.
None of the manufacturers had responded till the time of going to press.

Areas of Action

CERS recommends that:

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) take note of the salt minimization efforts recommended by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) of UK, and suggest limits of salt and sodium
• The labelling requirements for the declaration of the fat and sodium content in instant noodles be made more specific and the same should be prominently displayed
• Manufacturers make a conscious effort to reduce the level of sodium and increase the amounts of calcium and iron to maximize the nutritional benefits
• The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) seriously focus on advertisements and promotions addressed to children

Note: The tests of instant noodles reported here were carried out in CERS’ independent in-house test laboratory – the only one of its type run by a consumer organization in the country. The samples purchased for testing were bought incognito from reputed shops. No samples were accepted from manufacturers.

• This test report courtesy: INSIGHT – The Consumer Magazine (test published in September-October 2012)
• Instant noodles tested by Testing Organization for Research in Chemicals and Health Hazards (TORCH)