Any athlete will tell you that offense is the best form of defense. This is how Pot Noodle, the instant food that is so popular among students who live in poverty, came to be known for calling itself “the slag of all snacks.” Make the most of your resources when you only have a sizable advertising budget to your advantage.
The fact that Pot Noodle is not food in any sense that we might recognize probably doesn’t need to be explained to ecologists readers – i e. fresh, seasonal, local, organic. But how much do you really know about what goes into a Pot Noodle, aside from an aggressive, occasionally tasteless advertising campaign?
The 1977 introduction of the Pot Noodle brand into Britain led to it becoming the most popular pot snack in the UK, with a massive 77% market share, according to parent company Unilever. Males between the ages of 16 and 24 make up the brand’s main target market.
Despite receiving increasingly negative press for its lack of nutritional value, sales of Pot Noodle still make up about 95% of the £105 million hot snack market, and the product’s popularity shows no signs of abating.
It is produced in the South Wales town of Crumlin. Around 155 million pots are produced there annually, and it is estimated that 240 pot noodles are consumed in Britain every minute. Although there have been many flavor variations over the years, chicken and mushroom has remained the nation’s favorite.
A short-lived attempt was made to create an organic pot noodle in 2008, but only 100 of those pots were made. The limited edition “Poulet et Champignon” version sold in Harrods for around £30 per pot.
Since none of the flavors of Pot Noodle—not even the ones with meat in the variety name—have meat in the pot, they are all vegetarian-friendly. In 2007, Unilever relaunched the brand in the UK after spending £10 million to reduce the salt content of the food by half.
Pot Noodle does not contain any artificial colors or preservatives, according to Unilever. Given all of this, you might think there is little cause for concern. But as ever the devil is in the details.
The nutritional information on Pot Noodles, and really any snack to which you simply add water, can be dreadfully ambiguous and easily manipulated. Frequently, the numbers on the pot are so perplexing that most of us choose not to attempt to understand them.
The important numbers in this type of snack are not the per 100g “as prepared” numbers, but rather the “per pot” numbers, which give you a complete picture of what you are eating.
The dry matter in a pot noodle weighs just under 100g before being hydrated. By adding water, you hydrate the dry material while also diluting its contents and nutritional value.
A Pot Noodle appears to have significantly fewer calories, fat, and sugar per 100g than a Mars Bar does in its “dry form,” just as a Mars Bar that has been blended with some water might.
For instance, even though the company has cut its salt content in half, Pot Noodle is still a snack with a high salt content. A high-salt snack, according to the Food Standards Authority, is one that contains 0 5g sodium (1. A low salt snack is one with zero grams of salt per 100 grams. 1g sodium (0. 25 g salt)/100g. Each pot of Pot Noodle floats in the middle with 0 in it. 80g sodium (1. 99g salt). Even so, the daily recommended amount of salt is 6 g, which means that each pot contains 33% of that amount.
High blood pressure, a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke, can be brought on by a high salt intake.
Pot Noodle is also high in fat. This results from the inclusion of vegetable oil, which serves as a binder and enhances the product’s “mouth feel.” The majority of vegetable oils used in processed foods are derived from high-omega-6 fatty acid corn or sunflower oils. Omega-6 overconsumption is associated with heart disease, stroke, immune system damage, and cancer.
A look at the “per pot information” reveals that a single pot contains 13g of fat, which is what the Food Standards Agency defines as a high fat product as containing 20g/100g. 7g of fat, or almost a fifth of the daily allowance for women and a seventh of the daily allowance for men That might not seem too bad, but it’s important to consider how many of the calories in a pot of noodles are from fat by doing a little extra math.
Let’s begin by noting that 9 calories are contained in 1 gram of fat. Thus, a pot of noodles has 123 calories from fat overall. This indicates that almost 33% of its calories are from fat. Typically, 20% of the calories in a low-fat diet come from fat. When eating a high-fat diet, this percentage increases to 40%. Additionally, 8–10% of the calories in a healthy diet may come from saturated fats. Saturated fats account for nearly 16% of the calories in a pot noodle.
These numbers might not be that significant if the person eating the pot noodles is a well-nourished health enthusiast who only consumes low-fat and low-sodium foods the rest of the time. But, really, what are the odds of that being true?.
To read a thorough investigation into Aspartame, visit the Ecologist archive here and click on 2005 and then September. Monosodium glutamate (E621) is a central nervous system poison in the same family as Aspartame.
Asthma, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, tightness in the chest, a burning sensation in the forearms and the back of the neck, disorientation, and depression are among the side effects that have been reported. According to recent studies, its use may cause long-term eye damage such as macular degeneration, retinal lesions, and retinal thinning.
Disodium 5 ribonucleotide (E635), sometimes referred to as the “new MSG,” is a relatively recent flavor enhancer that was first released in 1994. The two are frequently combined in stock cubes and salty snacks because it is known to work synergistically with MSG to produce a flavor intensity that is 10-15 times greater than with MSG alone.
E635 has a unique set of side effects, primarily itchy skin rashes that can appear up to 30 hours after consumption; the rashes can range in severity from mild to severe, and the reaction seems to be dose-related and cumulative. Some individuals are more sensitive than others. Those who have gout, asthma, or are aspirin sensitive should probably avoid it.
Disodium 5 ribonucleotides also represent a snack food industry cheat. If a product containing ribonucleotides contained ingredients that naturally contain glutamates, such as yeast extract or hydrolyzed vegetable protein, the label could state “NO ADDED MSG,” but the product would still have a dramatic flavor-enhancing effect and, for sensitive people, a negative effect.
One might contend that eating Pot Noodle on a regular basis is someone’s sorry business if they despise themselves that much. But there is an environmental dimension here too. Pot Noodle is packaged in a rigid polypropylene (PP5) pot. When the snacking is done the pot gets tossed. Even though PP5 can theoretically be recycled, many local councils in the UK lack the infrastructure to do so.
If your recycling crew is anything like mine, when a PP5 pot accidentally falls into the recycling bin, it is thrown onto the sidewalk in front of your house or, if you’re really lucky, your front path for you to pick up later. These pots (240 per minute, remember) simply end up in landfills or are burned, which not only causes environmental harm but also makes it difficult to recycle PP5.
Will the odd Pot Noodle kill you? No. Will it in any way improve our health or our bodies? Is it the pinnacle of careless eating and, as such, a symbol of so much that is wrong with our continued adoration of processed food? Perhaps it’s time to get off this rapidly advancing snack food innovation treadmill.
Visit the Ecologist Green Directory to find vendors of food and beverage goods and services that are moral and environmentally responsible.
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Controversy[]
The Pot Noodle brand has participated in several contentious marketing initiatives. Following complaints to the Independent Television Commission, a series of television commercials that referred to Pot Noodle as “the slag of all snacks” were pulled in August 2002. [11][12] After the Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints that “the tone could be interpreted as condoning violence,” Unilever withdrew the associated poster campaign that revolved around the “Hot Noodle” line with the tagline “hurt me, you slag.” [13].
The Advertising Standards Authority received 620 complaints in May 2005 regarding a series of commercials with the suggestive slogan “Have you got the Pot Noodle horn?” and a man wearing large brass horn in his pants.
Some of the complaints described them as “tasteless and offensive”. The three advertisements were already approved for specific windowing, mainly after the watershed at 9:00 p.m. The ASA did not uphold the complaints. Although it acknowledged that the campaign was “a little crude,” it still found that they were safe and that “the timing restriction was appropriate.” “[15].
Pot Noodle was described as “Lad Culture in snack form, an edible Page Three; drooling, retrograde sexism, and any PR exec who tries to tell us otherwise [by]” Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett and Holly Baxter for the New Statesman. ] can jog on. “[1].
Related products[]
Golden Wonder released a comparable convenience food called “Pot Rice” in the early 1980s. It was sold in a plastic pot and was made from dehydrated rice, wheat protein, vegetables, and flavorings. Following a series of acquisitions and takeovers of the Pot Noodle brand in the 1990s, Pot Rice was later produced by Unilever and Knorr. It was discontinued in the early 2000s. Chicken Risotto, Chicken Curry, Beef and Tomato, Beef Chipotle, and Cod and Parsley were among the flavors. Template:CN.
In the late 1990s, the makers of Pot Noodle offered a similar branded mashed potato snack under the name “Pot Mash” in the UK and Ireland.
The 1980s saw the introduction of “Pot Casserole,” a dish made with soy protein and dried vegetables, but it was discontinued before the turn of the century.
The 1990s saw the release of “Pot Pasta” and “Pot Spaghetti,” which combined dried pasta pieces with a sachet of parmesan cheese.
In the middle of the 1980s, a dessert line called “Pot Sweet” with four different flavors was introduced. It was quickly discontinued. [10].
We’ve all been there. When ambitious plans are abruptly abandoned, when one’s hopes and dreams are cruelly crushed By life. By the boring stuff, the mundane stuff, the everyday stuff. That’s where we come in. You’ll experience your fair share of thrills with Pot Noodle in your corner (or food cabinet, more precisely). Life becomes fiendishly, gloriously tasty. We’ll handle the noodle-making while you live your best life, take advantage of the moment, and STIR IT UP.
FAQ
What is a Pot Noodle in England?
A variety of cup noodles marketed in the UK is called Pot Noodle. Noodles, soya chunks, vegetables, seasoning powder, and a packet of sauce with which you can customize the flavor are included.
Are Pot Noodles healthy?
Despite being quick and simple, pot noodles are very low in nutrients. Consuming them frequently has negative effects on your liver and kidneys. Try rice noodles instead; they are equally quick and contain less salt, reducing the risk to your kidneys.
Is Pot Noodle the same as ramen?
Due to the fact that the traditional Golden Wonder: Pot Noodles have essentially become interchangeable with similarly packaged instant noodles, instant ramen, pot noodles, cup noodles, or whatever name you prefer for them.
Are Pot Noodles a UK thing?
When convenience was king and noodles were exotic, the British food company Golden Wonder introduced Pot Noodle in 1977. The concept for “cup noodles” originated in Japan. Unilever sells Pot Noodle products in the UK and Ireland.
