 we delve deeper into the production methods and materials used to make ramen noodles, it becomes questionable how many of the ingredients are actually necessary to achieve a tasty and texturally-pleasing ramen product. Many noodle companies insist on adding a long list of ingredients with some products containing as many as 48 different ingredients (14).
Tertiary butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ, is one such ingredient. On their website, Nissin advertises that most of their products contain TBHQ, an antioxidant that “helps extend shelf life” (14). What Nissin doesn’t elaborate on are the physiological effects of TBHQ on the body, which include visual disturbances upon excessive exposure in factory workers (O’Donoghue, 129) and, in a study conducted on rats who were fed TBHQ, it caused “liver enlargement…convulsions and medullary paralysis” (O’Donoghue, 129). TBHQ is an unnecessary additive and can be replaced with natural alternatives such as evaporated cane juice, salt, or brine for food preservation (Henney et al., 2010).
Sodium tripolyphosphate is another ingredient that is often used as a flavoring agent, oxidant, and oxidant stabilizer in instant ramen noodles ("Pentasodium”). Interestingly, it is also used in chemical fertilizers, adhesive and sealant chemicals, bleaching agents, and dyes, to name a few. Sodium tripolyphosphate exposure can cause serious skin, eye, and respiratory irritations as well as organ toxicity ("Pentasodium”).
A more commonly known additive that is contained in many noodle products is monosodium glutamate, or MSG, which creates a savory ‘umami’ flavor. MSG has historically been extracted from seaweed broth but is now produced by the “fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses” ("Questions”). During the production of MSG, a large amount of gaseous ammonia is released into the atmosphere during the treatment and discharge of wastewater from fermentation workshops ("Questions”).
Disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate are two other umami flavor enhancers that are commonly 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 loo