The myths and truths about INSTANT NOODLES… (Part 1 of 2)
Instant noodles are now recognized as staples in the Filipinos' dining table. With the enormous line of products available in the commercial food shelves right now, who else is not yet serving instant noodles to their family or have not tried at all? If you’re one of them, you’ve probably heard of the myths and hoaxes that roamed around for some time – 1) that noodles is the cause of “bangungot” (nightmare), 2) that instant noodles and its Styro container has wax and 3) that MSG in noodles became toxic when cooked. All these and more are nothing but misleading information. Instant noodles in the Philippines although growing is still at its infant stage relative to our other neighboring asian countries. Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, China and Malaysia are far more large consumers of this product than the Philippines. Their noodle industry has grown full blown! Yet, none of these countries reported a single incident related to any of those “questionable claims”. Thus, we all ought to know the truth behind it. And here are the more enlightening facts straight from the country’s leading manufacturer of instant noodles:“Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a flavor enhancer classified by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as a generally recognized as safe, or GRAS, ingredient. Likewise, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified it as “not specified”, the safest category for a food additive, and has chosen not to set a limit on Accepted Daily Intake (ADI) of MSG.
Generally, MSG is added to foods before, during or after cooking. It is a stable food element, which means that it does not change its molecular structure when added to boiling water or with other ingredients. Therefore, it is not (nor does it become) toxic.
Furthermore, instant noodles do not contain any wax. Noodle strands do not stick together because of cassava or potato starch, one of its main ingredients. Starch is what gives instant noodles its smooth texture and chewy bite. Its removal will cause clumping among the strands.
Neither do the styrofoam containers have wax. Styrofoam is composed of 95% air and 5% polystyrene. It meets stringent US FDA standards for use in food packaging and is safe for consumers. It does not in any way transfer its odor or taste to food because it is an inert, unreactive material.
One of the most dreaded forms of death - nightmare or “bangungot” in Filipino language, will not in anyway be caused by eating instant noodles. According to Dr. Eric Tayag, Director of National Epidemiology Center of DOH, the most common sources of nightmare have something to do with the state of mind, environment influences, genetic cardiac abnormalities and evil spirits. He also added that in medical parlance, nightmare is sudden and unexplained death in sleep and that the e-mail hoax on noodles will become part of the urban legend among urban legends that we have.”
Learning all that, don’t you think it’s really safe to grab a pouch now?
**photos courtesy of this site
Comments
I really contemplated on your comment. On the liver problem, you might be referring to the intake of too much salt or sodium perhaps, which are normally associated to instant noodles? (there’ll be more of this on part II of my noodle article). I think anything consumed in excess is really bad for the health. Things can be both bad and good at the same time, which holds true for the nutrients our bodies absorbed. Our bodies need sodium but the only recommended dietary intake is less than 3000 mg/day (about 1 ½ tsp of salt) in excess of this will lead to some health problems. So it’s advisable to read the product label to have an idea on how much you’ll be taking per serving. A pack of 60g instant noodles per day might be sufficient enough. It’s worth noting though, that there exists a healthy, noodle-eating country like Japan. The per capita intake of noodles of the Japanese is for sure bigger than Filipinos yet they are considered as one of the healthiest people in the world at the same time. The contents of instant noodles in Japan will in no way be so much different to what’s locally available for us. So, I guess our choice of lifestyle is a big contributing factor as well.
Thus, the bottom line really is: Live Healthy, Eat Smart!
Nakakatawa that somebody from the DOH,and a doctor at that, would say that bangungot is caused by evil spirits. :D
Thanks for sharing this!
The instant noodle debate goes beyond whether it is toxic or not. It has a lot to do with awareness that we don't need to fall for advertising traps.
On Hailey, not all food ingredients in particular additives are in artificial form. There are also those that are classified as natural and nature identical. In the right context, it is fair to say that most food additives are not inherently harmful. They are as safe as it is humanly possible to make them. Their use in food is acceptable provided that they serve some useful purpose and are not harmful.You can check out these two links, they will help explain more.
kind regards!
http://www.understandingfoodadditives.org/pages/Ch2p3-3.htm
http://www.science.edu.sg/ssc/virtual_ssc.jsp?type=4&root=140&parent=181&cat=183
Any drug and health organization can be bribed to give permission to a substance or drug which they claim to be safe. As long as it results in profit. Who knows?
Dr. Eric Tayag believes in evil spirits. Good job Dr. Eric.