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A part of the attraction of the Cup Noodles, versus these plastic-wrapped packages with the little aluminum seasoning pouches, was their portability and no-fuss prep — you could possibly throw one in your bag to eat within the break room at work or make one within the dorm, late-night.
Nissin stated that its determination to modify from a polystyrene cup to a paper one was partly an environmental one. The brand new cups will probably be product of 40 % recycled fiber and can not be wrapped in plastic. “This up to date packaging and the brand new paper cup marks an necessary milestone for Cup Noodles and a key step in our environmental dedication,” Michael Value, president and chief govt of the corporate’s U.S. arm, stated in a information launch.
Within the announcement, the corporate additionally touted the “new” comfort of the format, too. “For the primary time ever, Cup Noodles will probably be microwaveable, not requiring boiling water, thus considerably decreasing cooking time,” it boasted.
First time? Not for a lot of of its longtime followers. Some consultant tweets: “I used to be immediately years previous after I came upon you’re not imagined to microwave cup noodles,” and “This entire time cup noodles wasn’t imagined to go within the microwave???” Even earlier than the switch-over, there was a subgenre on TikTok of individuals shocked to be taught that they weren’t really imagined to be nuking their cups. “So I’ve been cooking these items flawed your complete time and nobody ever advised me?” stated a lady named Reba Lasha in a video from earlier this yr by which she customizes the dish by dumping a bag of Cheetos into it. (One other widespread social media trope is hacking ramen with every kind of add-ins, from eggs to ice cream bars.)
Others, after all, chided the blissfully unaware amongst them. “They actually print the directions on the facet of the cup!” one wrote. Others, apparently, knew however didn’t care.
Conscious or not, noodle-nukers have been residing on the sting this entire time: Microwaving the previous packaging carried potential security and well being dangers. Polystyrene comprises a chemical referred to as styrene, which the federal government has categorized as a “moderately anticipated human carcinogen” that may leach out through the microwaving course of and into meals. Consultants say, although, that the hazard isn’t in often warming up takeout in foam containers, however somewhat, an accumulation over time.
And look out for splattered microwaves — or worse. Heating the froth cups within the microwave might “can even compromise the container’s structural integrity,” inflicting the contents to leak or spill in your equipment, or on you when you’re eradicating it. Quite a lot of states have handed bans on the usage of polystyrene containers for meals and different makes use of, principally citing environmental issues, since these tons of plates and clamshells can’t be recycled.
Whereas these drawbacks may need been actual, again within the dim days of the pandemic, a (false!) city legend in regards to the Cup Noodles and different ramen manufacturers took maintain. “On the spot noodles include wax coating which can also be utilized in Styrofoam containers,” learn a 2016 Fb publish that started making the rounds. “That’s the reason instantaneous noodles don’t stick to one another whereas cooking.”
Whereas fact-checkers beat that one again, the noodles do have some well-earned criticism about their hazard. Many packaged manufacturers are crazy-high in sodium (although some are available reduced-sodium variations), together with Cup Noodles, with a single serving of its basic rooster selection clocking in at 1,160 milligrams, or about half the really helpful each day consumption for an grownup.