alt

136 additives allowed in instant noodles

136 additives, mostly chemicals, are allowed to be added in instant noodles by Codex, the food standards of WHO/FAO. The picture below shows some of those ingredients.

Out of the 136 additives, 24 of them are sodium salts, besides table salt which is also added. That is why instant noodles contain extremely high sodium content. According to CAP tests, just one packet of instant noodles alone can contain about the maximum allowable daily intake of 2,400 mg of sodium. Tests in Hong Kong found sodium levels as high as 5,800 mg per 100 gm of instant noodles (each packet is about 80 gm).

alt
Besides the many additives and high sodium levels, instant noodles contain high amounts of fat. Most instant noodles are fried in the manufacturing process. According to Hong Kong’s Consumer Council and Centre for Food Safety, 3 cup noodle samples were found to contain more than 30 g of total fat per package, which would account for more than 50% of the daily intake limit for total fat for a 2,000-kcal diet.

High sodium intake raises high blood pressure. It also creates other health problems like stroke, atherosclerosis, fluid retention, swollen ankles, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Meniere’s Syndrome, Premenstrual Syndrome, glaucoma, osteoporosis, kidney and bladder stones, stomach cancer, enlargement of the heart, rigidity of large arteries and asthma.

Say “no” to this junk food now.