Customers rejoice as domestic instant noodle makers move up the ladder

Happy days are here again for Chinese instant noodle makers, as products with better taste, healthier recipes and more innovative cooking techniques are gaining in popularity. Though the product had been largely phased out in the Chinese market due to the consumption upgrade in recent years, sales of such products have started rising again, an industry report said.

Total consumption of instant noodles worldwide reached 103.6 billion units in 2018, of which about 40.25 billion units or 39 percent came from China, according to a report from consultancy firm Ries Consulting. The second and third-largest markets were Indonesia and India, whose consumption accounted for about 12 percent and 5.8 percent, it said.

Sales of instant noodles in China began to drop in 2013 and reached a low point of 38.5 billion units in 2016, data from the World Instant Noodles Association showed. The market warmed up last year and will continue to grow in subsequent years as demand from both high-end and low-income consumers is expected to expand, said Zhang Yun, global partner of Ries Consulting.