 added to foods in place of MSG (Yacoubou, 2011). MSG, disodium inosinate, and disodium guanylate can all be successfully replaced with natural food flavorings, salt, or brine.
‘Alternative’ noodles products like Bou Soup Cup noodles and Dr. McDougall’s organic ramen noodles, for example, contain only a handful of ingredients - organic wheat flour, brine, salt, natural flavor, vegetables, potato starch, organic evaporated cane juice, spices, and lime. McDougall’s natural noodle products have a shelf life of twelve months while the standard package of instant ramen noodles has a shelf life between two and twelve months (9). Thus, it is apparent that many of the additional ‘dirty’ ingredients added for food preservation are not actually necessary as they don’t significantly increase the shelf life beyond that of their natural noodle alternatives. In addition, both flavor and textural consistency of noodles can be achieved through natural alternative.
As the main ingredient in instant noodles, wheat is also examined for possible adverse environmental impacts during production. The European Commission’s ExternE report on wheat production reveals that industrialized farms regularly overuse oxidized nitrogen and acidifying lime in the soil used to grow wheat (Bickel, 123-124). This practice causes massive soil erosion and an increase in the annual rates of Nitrogen and Phosphorus released into the soil, water, and atmosphere which, in turn, have a negative impact on our ecosystems and biodiversity (Tilman par. 10, 14).
Palm oil is yet another ingredient used in many noodle products that also comes with a dirty carbon footprint. Regular palm oil is less costly than fully certified sustainable, palm oil, but it comes with both negative environmental and social consequences. The use of regular palm oil contributes to deforestation and humans rights abuses throughout oil plantations across the tropics (Dauvergne, 34). Unfortunately for the consumer, the classification of ‘sustainable’ palm oil is riddled with political loopholes that allow manufacturers to appear more socially responsible. (Dauvergne, 34). For example, on their website, Nissin claims that they use “100% mass balance, certified sustainable palm oil” in all of their products. Mass balance palm oil refers to sustainable palm oil that has been produced on certified plantations, but mixed with ordinary palm oil throughout the supply chain (Lumpur, 2013). As a result of this loophole, companies can appear to be more environmentally responsible to the consumer, and advertise so, without actually being that responsible, and without breaking the bank. Upon comparing Dr. McDougall’s noodle product to Nissin’s, oil can be eliminated all together, as dehydration techniques can achieve the intended goal of drying the noodles.
In addition to the impact that many ramen noodle ingredients can have on our health and our environment, most of the common materials used in ‘traditional’ noodle packaging also come with a plethora of negative environmental consequences and health concerns, during all phases of the supply chain. In Nissin cup noodles, the dehydrated noodle block is placed into a polystyrene cup, sealed with a paper lid, covered with a plastic film, and placed into a lightweight cardboard holding package. This is a prime example of unnecessarily excessive material usage in the food industry. In Nissin Top Ramen noodles, which contain less packaging overall, the cylindrical block is sealed into a plastic wrap.
Plastics and styrofoam contribute to approximately 30 percent of landfill volume in the U.S. (Dilthey, 2018) and take approximately 500 years to decompose (Dineen par. 1-3). Food companies use styrofoam for a number of reasons. It has a “long shelf life, remains sanitary during storage, and is highly cost-effective” (Dilthey, 2018). Styrofoam, or polystyrene, is manufactured from petroleum byproducts (Friend, 1) and can result in significant health problems in exposed factory workers (“Styrene”).
According to the Environmental Production Agency, Styrofoam is the fift