The Consumers Association of Penang
(CAP) calls on consumers to avoid eating instant noodles as it is
harmful to health. Studies have shown that high sodium consumption is
linked to a variety of diseases such as hypertension, heart disease,
stroke and kidney damage.
In 2004 Malaysians consumed 870 million
packets of instant noodles but by 2008 it had increased to more than
1,210 million packets. This is an increase of nearly 40 percent during
the period of 4 years.
Instant noodle is a highly processed food that lacks nutritive value. It is a junk food. Every single serving of instant noodle is high in carbohydrates, sodium and other food additives, but low on essential elements such as fibre, vitamins and minerals.
According to the Codex Standards (FAO standards) for instant noodles, acid regulators, flavour enhancers, thickeners, humectants, colours, stabilizers, anti-oxidants, emulsifiers, flour treatment agents, preservatives and anti-caking agents are allowed to use in the making of instant noodles.
Instant noodle is a highly processed food that lacks nutritive value. It is a junk food. Every single serving of instant noodle is high in carbohydrates, sodium and other food additives, but low on essential elements such as fibre, vitamins and minerals.
According to the Codex Standards (FAO standards) for instant noodles, acid regulators, flavour enhancers, thickeners, humectants, colours, stabilizers, anti-oxidants, emulsifiers, flour treatment agents, preservatives and anti-caking agents are allowed to use in the making of instant noodles.
24 of the 136 listed additives in the
Codex Standards are sodium salts. And the use of sodium additives is the
main reason why instant noodles are high in sodium. High-sodium foods
can cause hypertension, heart disease, stroke, kidney damage and other
health problems.
Tests conducted by CAP on 10 samples of
instant noodles found three samples to contain sodium above 1,000 mg.
The average amount of sodium found in the samples was 830 mg. According
to the current US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of sodium for
adults and children over 4 years old is 2,400 mg/day. Consumption of
instant noodles can easily cause excessive sodium intake as sodium is
commonly used in our other daily foods especially from processed and
hawker foods.
Another health concern is the reported
leaching of dioxin and other hormone-like substances from the plastic
container of the cup noodle. As hot water is added harmful substances
could seep into the soup.
One of the major concerns with instant
noodle is that it can produce oxidised fat and oil if it is not managed
properly during the manufacturing process. This is of concern if the
cooking oil is not maintained at the proper temperature or the oil is
not changed as often as necessary.
Instant noodles are coated with wax to
prevent the noodles from sticking together. This can be seen when hot
water is added to the noodles. After some time the wax can be seen
floating in the water.
The Codex Standards also allow the use
of 10,000 mg/kg of the chemical propylene glycol, an anti-freeze
ingredient as humectants (help to retain moisture to prevent noodles
from drying) in instant noodles. Propylene glycol is readily absorbed
and it accumulates in the heart, liver and kidneys causing abnormalities
and damage. The chemical is also capable of weakening the immune
system.
Instant noodles and the flavouring soup
base also contain high amounts of monosodium glutamate (MSG). It is a
flavour enhancer used by instant noodle makers to make their shrimp
flavours ”shrimpier” and beef flavours “beefier”. MSG can trigger an
allergic reaction in 1 to 2 % of the population. Individuals who are
allergic to MSG can get burning sensations, chest and facial flushing or
pain and headaches from it.
High sodium consumption is linked to
stroke or kidney damage. In Malaysia, there are an estimated 13,000
kidney patients undergoing dialysis. Every year 2,500 people join the
ranks of end-stage renal failure patients. Six new cases of stroke occur
every hour in Malaysia.
Some of the chemicals found in instant
noodles are also capable of causing cancer. For example, dioxin and
plasticisers leached from the containers in the presence of hot water.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) ,at least 30 percent of
all cancers could be prevented through simple measures such as adopting
a healthy diet. Instant noodles are definitely an unhealthy diet which
consumers should avoid.
READ MORE HERE
0 comments:
Post a Comment