Eat and chat

Instant noodles grow against the trend in the post-epidemic era, experts have something to say

　　According to Nielsen data, 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 behind their previous distrust of instant noodles and discovered its "loveliness" instead.

The instant noodles themselves also bring surprises to consumers.

When did instant noodles taste like real hand-rolled noodles?

The instant noodles that have gradually faded out of the eyes of people undergoing consumption upgrades are back with more and more advanced production techniques.

Put it on the table, you may not believe this is a convenience food.

　　Professor Shen Qun from the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University said that the consumption pattern of the post-epidemic era will undoubtedly inject new impetus into the instant noodle industry. Instant noodles will be a healthy staple food that will be active on people's tables for a long time.

Palm oil, the raw material for making instant noodles

Do you still have a prejudice against it?

　　For a long time, instant noodles have almost equated with junk food.

In particular, people have different opinions on the palm oil used to make instant noodles. Some people say that eating palm oil can induce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Others say that the United States and the European Union have boycotted palm oil, which is definitely a problem.

　　Experts have long affirmed that palm oil is as reliable as other vegetable oils.

China has become the largest importer of palm oil in 2020, accounting for 20% of the total market.

In daily life, the application of palm oil can be seen everywhere.

Fried instant noodles, fried French fries, fried chicken nuggets, and sometimes used to make margarine, shortening and halal food.

It is rich in vitamin A (500-700 mg/kg) and vitamin E (500-800 mg/kg), which is of higher edible value.

Since palm oil only contains a moderate amount of oleic acid, a trace amount of linoleic acid and a variety of natural antioxidants, it is the best choice for frying instant noodles.

　　Consumers’ bad impression of palm oil began in the 1980s. At that time, the U.S. soybean oil market was hit by Malaysia’s imports of cheap palm oil. To protect the domestic market, the American Soybean Association proposed that “palm oil is harmful to human health and should be The concept of “keep out of the country” and vigorously promote it.

The reason is that palm oil contains more than 50% saturated fatty acids, which will significantly increase blood cholesterol levels.

To maintain the reputation of palm oil, Malaysia immediately established the Palm Oil Research Institute, hiring 50 experts from 9 countries to conduct palm oil nutrition and health experiments.

At the subsequent International Palm Oil Conference "Nutrition and Health" group, experts and professors' comprehensive research results showed that the saturated acids in palm oil (mainly palmitic acid) are "neutral" to blood cholesterol levels.

The test shows that about 10% of niacin has a special molecular (glycerine) structure and is rich in concomitants (tocopherol 50 mg/100 g; tocotrienol 70 mg/100 g; β- Carotene (45 mg/100 g) and other ingredients, their comprehensive physiological effects make palm oil stand out among many tropical plant fats-not only will not increase the blood cholesterol concentration, but also inhibit the occurrence of breast cancer.

　　Not only that, palm oil is easily absorbed by the human body and is a good and beneficial energy source for humans.

The difference between palm oil and other oils is 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 the source of vitamin E. The refined palm oil contains 360-600 mg/kg of vitamin E, which can prevent cell aging and arteriosclerosis, and reduce the cholesterol content in blood sugar.

Palm oil is also a rich source of vitamin A and carotene.

Therefore, from the perspective of nutrition and health, palm oil is a natural health oil.

Soft canning technology brings authentic taste

Keep more nutrients

　　Today's convenience foods often have five or six packs of ingredients.

Convenient vermicelli snail noodles, the ingredients range from solid to liquid, and the large and small packages are very ritual.

It focuses on high-end instant noodles that restore the original flavor of the ingredients, and has large pieces of meat that retain the texture of shredded meat...Professor Shen Qun from the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University introduced that every time the taste and appearance of instant noodles is upgraded, it is food science and technology. improvement.

　　Manufacturers apply the "soft can" technology to the upgrade of instant noodle consumption. For consumers who are tired of dehydrated vegetables and freeze-dried meat, it is undoubtedly a novel experience to be able to eat real meat in instant noodles.

　　"Soft cans", as the name suggests, have similar processing principles and methods to rigid cans, except that the packaging container is soft.

The content after high temperature sterilization is stored in a composite film, which is more conducive to 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 food.

In the rapid high temperature sterilization process, the nutrients in the contents are rarely damaged, and compared with freeze-dried meat, the nutritional value has also been greatly improved.

　　In addition to the innovation of ingredients and contents, instant noodle manufacturers have also been pursuing the perfect taste of noodles. The cakes of instant noodles are usually wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap, and the opaque, fancy packaging bags are also more light-shielding.

Instant noodles not only bring a sense of security

And comfort

　　The rapid increase in instant noodle sales during the epidemic quarantine is enough to show people's demand for and dependence on instant noodles at this special moment when they must stay home.

When contact is isolated, instant noodles provide a sense of food security.

　　In the method of cooking instant noodles, boiling water is only the most basic one.

Looking at the major video sites, there are a lot of videos teaching people how to make instant noodles "not enough to eat".

After cooking, stir-fry, add rich fresh seasonal vegetables and meat as ingredients, or put it in a spicy and hot pot as a staple food, wait a moment, instant noodles can always bring a warm enjoyment.

The Chinese people's attachment to noodles seems to surpass other staple foods. This food with a history of more than 3,000 years always appears on our tables in different ways.

Instant noodles combine modern technology and dietary traditions, and are the crystallization of Chinese wisdom.

　　Professor Shen Qun suggested that in order to achieve nutritional balance, it is a good choice to add fresh vegetables and meat when cooking instant noodles.

Taking a step back, the ingredients that come with instant noodles are more and more able to meet the nutritional needs of consumers. Furthermore, adding fresh vegetables and meat to the process of cooking instant noodles is not difficult for most consumers.

　　Text/Li Runke