An inconvenient truth about a crucial ingredient in instant noodles

The fast pace of life, live it or dread it. Everyone craves time and convenience, right here, right now. And there comes the instant noodles, biscuits, crackers, cookies and other snacks.

Talk about instant noodles, there are so many brands and flavours to please your palate. Mamee, Ibumie, Cintan, Maggi, Nissin Cup Noodles and Mi Sedaap, I bet you have tried one or all of them.

Boil it, fry it or eat it straight away out of the pack without cooking. Some people could hardly live without instant noodles. Call it a quick and easy meal. Simple, convenient and even customisable.

So, what are the ingredients behind those products?

Generally, without referring to any particular brand, the noodle cake itself contains wheat flour, tapioca starch, palm oil, salt, sodium carbonate, and food conditioner (stabiliser).

The seasoning sachet may contain salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, chili powder, spices, artificial flavours, vegetable fat, colour additive, and several other ingredients, depending on the flavour mix.

Palm oil, one of the key ingredients, is alternatively labelled as vegetable oil [antioxidant (320)], vegetable fat [antioxidant (320)], palm oil [butylated hydroxyanisole – antioxidant], or certified sustainable palm oil [antioxidant (321)].

Call it an accidental superstar who dominates the trending news lately, and is surprisingly inspired by the golden crop of both Malaysia and Indonesia, the two largest producing nations with a combined 85% of worldwide palm oil supply.

And what makes palm oil so popular among the manufacturers?

First of all, oil (or fat) is a major ingredient in the oil-fried instant noodles manufacturing. Bear in mind that the instant noodles we buy at the retail stores are already pre-cooked and dried. So, the choice of oil used in frying determines the quality of the finished product. This is because the stability of the oil or fat used in frying will have a direct effect on the final outcome of product stability and texture.

Both palm oil and its more liquid fraction – palm olein, are an excellent natural frying medium of vegetable origin known for their deep-frying (150℃ – 190℃) stability. Deep-frying is very popular in domestic household as well as in food manufacturing industry because deep-fried foods are tasty and they develop a distinct crispiness on the outside with a soft and moist feel on the inside.

Again, the quality and taste of deep fried food will be influenced by several different factors but the single most important factor is the choice of a stable frying oil. The oil should be stable at high heat and in addition, it should also be resistant to rancidity due to oxidation of the fatty acids in the oil.

Palm oil’s high oxidative stability allows quality and healthy food to be cooked at high temperature and is found to be much less susceptible to oxidation. This makes it ideal for household and industrial frying.

Food manufacturers prefer palm oil because it has a unique quality, does not require hydrogenation process, and lengthens the shelf life of products. These advantages are difficult to imitate at the same cost with soft oils, which often have higher market prices and need additional processing such as hydrogenation for the same characteristics.

It would not be an overstatement to say that palm oil seems to be oxygenating the instant noodles manufacturing industry with its economic value, versatility and efficiency.

After all, the food industry utilizes about 85% of world’s palm oil production while the remaining 15% finds its way into oleochemical manufacturing.

And no matter how the food manufacturers label palm oil with over 200 industrial names, they just cannot conceal the usability and usefulness of this vital commodity for both manufacturers and consumers.