A Rs 10 instant noodle packet is all you need for an evening snack, at least that’s how it’s been portrayed by various instant noodle brands in India. Whenever we think about a quick chatpata snack, instant noodles are the first thing that pops up in our minds. We have already reviewed the various brands of instant noodles (Patanjali noodles, Sunfeast Yipee noodles, wai wai noodles, Ching’s noodles) available in the Indian markets.
Top Ramen by Nissin is another popular brand of instant noodles that has been in the trend for quite some time now. So today in this article we will be reviewing top ramen noodles and will be analyzing if it is safe compared to the other brands available in the market. Let’s begin.
Before starting the review, a fact that you should all know is instant noodles generally do not possess any health benefits. It is consumed solely for the purpose of keeping you full for some time and also when you think of consuming something chatpata that would be prepared in less than 5 minutes. Being said so, some instant noodles also possess health benefits but that is like one in 1 in 20. It is always better to prepare noodles at home along with fresh vegetables. Yes, that would take a lot of time but alongside the benefits of the vegetable will be passed on as well if properly cooked.
Ingredients
A product’s potential value can be determined by the ingredients used for making the product. So, let’s take a look at the various ingredient used in making top ramen noodles to determine if the instant noodles are safe for our health.
- Wheat flour 91%
- Edible palm oil
- Salt
- Acidity regulators (INS 451i INS 500i)
- Spice mix
- Antioxidant (INS 319)
- Thickener (INS 412)
Seasoning mix
- Sugar
- Various spices
- Iodised salt
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (soya)
- Noodle powder
- Corn starch
- Flavor enhancers (INS 627, INS 631, Yeast extract)
- Acidity regulator 330
- Color INS 100(i)
Nutritional information (100g)
| Nutrients | Amount |
| Energy | 452.27Kcal |
| Protein | 8.20g |
| Carbohydrate | 69.24g |
| Sugar | 1.79g |
| Fat | 15.83g |
| Saturated fat | 7.72g |
Top Ramen Noodles – Review
91% wheat flour
The packaging of Top Ramen Noodles mentions the presence of 91% maida or wheat flour which basically means the noodles are nothing but loads of maida mixed with Indian spices to achieve the taste.
Type of oil
Just like many other instant noodles brands, Top Ramen Noodles uses cheap edible palm oil. If you are following up on my articles on a regular basis, you would know how harmful palm oil is for our health. Palm oil consists of a high amount of saturated fat which is not at all good for your heart. Palm oil is also not recommended for growing kids.
Acidity regulator 451 and 500
Top Ramen Noodles mentions the presence of acidity regulator 451 or disodium phosphate. Disodium phosphate is safe for our health but it increases the sodium content of the noodles. We all know, instant noodles are filled up with sodium which is not at all good for our health. Adding further sodium to it makes the product nothing but a bag of sodium. If your daily sodium intake is more than 2000mg/day it may lead to heart-related problems in the near future.
Acidity regulator 500 is basically baking soda which again contains sodium. It’s weird how these noodles are packed up with nothing but sodium.
Antioxidant 319
Antioxidant 319 is found in Top Ramen Noodles to maintain the shelf life of the product as well as the spices. Antioxidant 319 also known as tertiary butylhydroquinone is harmful to our health and has several side effects. I have already mentioned the hazardous effect of tertiary butylhydroquinone in my previous articles.
Thickener 412
A thickening agent is always used in an instant noodle to maintain the thickness and texture of the product. Thickener 412, commonly known as starch is not harmful to our health but if over-consumed raises the sugar level in your body.
No MSG?
This is shockingly true but Top Ramen Noodles does not mention the presence of MSG or Ajinomoto as a flavor enhancer. This is actually a great point as most other instant noodles use MSG in their ingredients. MSG is very harmful to our health and should be avoided.
Instead of MSG, Top Ramen Noodles mentions the presence of flavor enhancers 627 and 631 which can also be considered as relatives of MSG. But still, they are safer compared to MSG but people with asthma, gout or arthritis should avoid this product. Yeast extract is also present as a flavor enhancer. Any flavor enhancers which are not directly from healthy natural sources should be ignored.
Color 100
Color 100 also known as curcumin is safe for our health. Rather curcumin is also found in Haldi which has medicinal benefits and actually possesses several health benefits.
Conclusion
On average Top Ramen Noodles does not contain many healthy ingredients. Just like many other instant noodles, it is filled up with antioxidants, thickeners, acidity regulators, sodium and palm oil. Just 100g of Top Ramen Noodles provides you with 453Kcal energy which is again considered too much. Among the total 15.83g fat in 100g Top Ramen Noodles, 7.72g is saturated fat ( about 50%) because of the presence of palm oil.
If you are consuming top ramen noodles on a regular basis, it is quite obvious for you to develop health-related and lifestyle-related diseases in the near future. Yes, instant noodles are tempting but enjoying them quite often would definitely lead to health degradation in the near future. You can always consume these noodles occasionally ( once a week) and have no health-related issues at all. But this is not everyone’s cup of tea. One who’s seriously concerned about their health knows how important controlled eating is.
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