CONVENIENCE foods are enjoying a boom in popularity and there’s no doubt that instant noodles have cornered the biggest share of the market.
The growth in sales of instant noodles since they first became widely available on the domestic market 10 years ago is staggering: latest estimates put sales at 200,000 to 300,000 packets a month, with manufacturers unable to meet demand.

The first Myanmar-made instant noodles were launched in 1997 by Yathar Cho Industry Ltd and sold under the Yum Yum brand.

“With demand exceeding supply there is no doubt about the growth potential of the instant noodle market,” said the company’s managing director, Ko Wai Phyo. He said Yum Yum instant noodles have the biggest share of the market, though he declined to provide figures.

“There is no doubt about the future growth potential in the instant noodle market,” he said, adding that improvements in distribution would help to further boost sales.

The other top selling brands are Mamee, made by the Myanmar Mamee Double Decker Ltd, and Ma Ma, manufactured by Ayeyarwaddy Food Industries Co Ltd, which claims a market share of 25 percent to 30 pc.

Another popular brand, Yathar, is produced by the Ministry of Industry (1).
Ko Wai Phyo said lifestyle changes arising from demands on time were one reason why instant noodles were so popular. They are inexpensive, easy to make and provide a nutritious meal. The main ingredients are wheat flour, edible oils and depending on the variety, dehydrated vegetables or meat. Wheat flour is a source of starch, the vegetables provide vitamins and meat is rich in proteins.

Noodles have been popular in Asia for centuries though their origin is a source of debate among food historians. Some argue that noodles were introduced to China as pasta by the Venetian explorer Marco Polo in the 1200s. Other contend that noodles originated in China and Marco Polo took the recipe back to Venice where the dish became known as pasta.

However, there’s no doubt about the origin of instant noodles. They were invented in 1958 by a Japanese man, Momofuku Ando, who wanted to create a simple, delicious noodle dish that could be prepared in minutes.

Mr Ando, who died on January 5 this year aged 96, began experiments to make instant noodles after establishing in 1948 what was to become the Nissin Food Products Co, from which he retired as chairman in 2005.

Instant noodles and the ramen noodles sold in a Styrofoam cup which Nissin launched in 1971, were a huge success in Japan and quickly gained popularity elsewhere in Asia and around the world.

Research by the World Ramen Association found that global consumption reached more than 65 billion units in 2003 and was estimated to reach 100 billion units in 2010.

Japan produces nearly 900 different brands of instant noodles, but research shows that South Korea is the top consumer, at 300 packs of noodles a head a year, followed by China at 200 packs a year.