Is it okay to eat ramen noodles without boiling them?
If you’re looking to take a trip down nostalgia lane and snack on instant ramen noodles like your elementary school days, you’re in luck!
Instant ramen is completely safe to eat as a snack without “cooking” them in boiling water first. In fact, instant ramen is pre-cooked making it entirely safe to eat.
So many of us grew up being told that “uncooked” instant ramen would give us worms that it’s a point that regularly needs to be addressed.
Many popular brands of instant ramen, like Top Ramen, have had to include a FAQ question on their website addressing this question.
Who knew wanting to eat that salty, crunchy treat for lunch would cause such a fuss?
How do you get worms?
Worms are a fairly common infection, most often infecting children. Worms are a parasite that is spread in humans when they come into contact with worm eggs.
This can happen in several ways, but in most countries, the biggest concern is coming into contact with a surface containing worm eggs or drinking contaminated water.
The reason worms spread so commonly in children is due to poor hygiene practices.
Children are less likely to wash their hands properly (if at all, who are we kidding?) making it easier for a child with worms to pass on their infection by touching surfaces that are shared with other children such as in the classroom.
It is also possible, though less common in countries with proper food safety protocols, to get worms from eating raw or undercooked animal products.
In particular beef, pork and freshwater fish can most frequently contain baby worms that can be transmitted to humans when not properly cooked.
How can I tell if I have worms?
find a large worm or large piece of worm in your poo. have a red, itchy worm-shaped rash on your skin. have sickness, diarrhoea or a stomach ache for longer than 2 weeks.
FAQ
Is it OK to eat ramen noodles raw?