Its taste and practicality make instant noodle to be one of the most popular cuisines among the public. However, instant noodles are not generally healthy, and there are many risks of consuming instant noodles the public should be more aware of, especially when instant noodles are served in large amounts.

Instant noodles come in the form of dry noodles with seasoning and vegetable oil. Its practicality makes instant noodles to be a favorite menu, particularly at night and busy times.

Vilda Ana Veria Setyawati, a Nutritionist from Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus), voiced her thoughts regarding the constant consumption of instant noodles by the public.

Vilda Ana Veria Setyawati, S.Gz., M. Gizi., stated that instant noodles could be dangerous on the condition that they were served in large portions and constantly. Moreover, she also suggested to consume instant noodles once a week.

“Instant noodles on the market have undergone various processes, and for that reason, instant noodles are not good for us. Even if the instant noodles had no ethylene oxide in them, they would still be dangerous if we were to consume them on a daily basis,” Vilda explained.

Vilda added that the dangers surrounding instant noodles were mainly in the oil and the seasoning. Previously, the authorities had also found ethylene oxide in one of the instant noodle products. Hence, Vilda suggested mixing our own seasoning if we had to consume instant noodles.

“It is recommended to reduce the amount of seasoning, or you can also mix your own seasoning as seasoning included in instant noodles could potentially put your bodies in danger,” she concluded.

Currently, Taiwan and Malaysia have hooked the distribution of Indonesian instant noodles off their shelves. This is because the ethylene oxide included in instant noodles could trigger cancer.

The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority has provided a statement that instant noodles with the same variant are safe to consume. However, a large amount of consumption could cause various health problems. (Humas Udinus/Alex. Foto: Humas Udinus)