Course:FNH200/Projects/2025/Shin Ramyun Light: A Contemporary Take on Reduced-Fat Instant Noodles

History

Shin Ramyun Original

Instant noodles were originally created by Momofuku Ando of Japan in 1958. The ease and convenience of instant noodles became an instant hit, with many East-Asian companies scrambling to push out their own product. In 1986, the South Korean food company Nongshim developed the well-recognized Shin Ramyun Noodle Soup, a beefy soup with noodles and vegetables, with its signature red and black packaging.

With a global rise in health concerns, especially in East Asia, Nongshim came out with the Shin Ramyun Light in 2019, a 75% less fat version of the original that aims to preserve as much of the original taste profile while reducing fat content. The instant noodle market has gained increasing demand for products that cater to healthier options such as low-fat, low-calorie, and MSG-free formulations. Shin Ramyun Light meets this demand while still preserving the taste and flavor of the original product. It reflects growing consumer interest in healthier versions of convenient food staples.

Shin Ramyun Light

Instant Noodle

Main Production Process

The process by which instant noodles are made has undergone little change since the 1950s. Workers mix wheat flour, water, salt, and an alkaline agent to make a dough. The dough is then rolled into thin sheets and then cut the sheets into noodle strands. Then, the noodles are steamed, which gelatinizes the starch.

Next comes the removal of moisture. This step keeps noodles shelf-stable. Most brands fry noodles in hot oil. Frying takes one or two minutes; it removes moisture quickly. But, at the same time, fat is added to the noodles. Some companies use hot-air drying instead to reduce fat content. However, it may change the noodle's texture or taste.

Companies add seasoning packets to the package. These usually hold powder mixes, oil seasoning packets, and dried vegetables. These mixes include but are not exclusive to dried meat, seafood, mushrooms, and spices.

Shin Ramyun Light

Shin Ramyun Light brings lower-fat ingredients to the table, as well as avoiding more fat through air-drying of the noodles.

Shin Ramyun Light Ingredients & Nutrition Information

Nutritional information:

Servings per package: 1 Serving size: 97g	Average quantity per serving
Energy	340 Calories
Protein	9g
Fat Total	2.5g
Saturated	0.5g
Carbohydrate	71g
Sugar	5g
Sodium	1800mg

Approaches to Fat Reduction

Reduced-Fat Ingredients

Instead of palm oil and beef fat, Shin Ramyun Light utilizes a blend of rice bran, canola, and corn oil in the form of a oil seasoning pack. Although all oils are fats and contain the same amount of Calories per gram, the oils used in Shin Ramyun Light contain a lower amount of saturated fat. Shin Ramyun Light also uses less oil within their formula compared to competing brands.

Maltodextrin

Maltodextrin molecule

Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate-based fat substitute commonly used in modified starch products such as instant noodles. As a fat substitute, maltodextrin mimics the mouth feel of fat, contributing to a smooth texture but providing little flavor. Since maltodextrin is a carbohydrate-based fat substitute, it contributes the same number of calories as carbohydrates (4 kcal/g, or 0-2 if digestion-resistant). In the case of Shin Ramyun, maltodextrin is present in both the original and the Light version, as many other modified starch products also contain it. By creating the mouthfeel of fat, maltodextrin reduces the amount of fat necessary in the product to produce the same profile.

D-sorbitol (Sorbitol)

Sorbitol molecule

D-sorbitol or just sorbitol is a low-calorie sweetener under the category of sugar alcohols. Sorbitol and other sugar alcohols alike provide 1.5-3.4 kcal/g, making it a good replacement for real sugar (sucrose). Sorbitol is also around 60% of the sweetness of sucrose, thus must be used in bulk to have the same level of sweetness as normal sugar. Sugar alcohols do not affect blood glucose/insulin levels upon ingestion. This makes it a good alternative for people with diabetes and related issues. Shin Ramyun Light uses sorbitol to possibly reduce carbohydrates in the product as well as reduce overall Calories.

Dehydration Technique

Process of instant noodles being made

The process of hot air-drying is used for non-fried instant noodle products. Similar to flash-fried instant noodles, these hot air-dried noodles take a similar process involving mixing, rolling, steaming/cooking, flash-frying, cooling, and finally packaging, with the exception of a continuous hot-air drying chamber that replaces the deep fryer. This hot-air dryer is what allows the noodle to use less fat during its production. According to Gulia et al. (2014), fried instant noodles contain 15-20% oil compared to air-dried instant noodles, holding at maximum of 3% fat. Additionally, frying noodles (increased fat %) increases its chances of lipolytic rancidity, reducing shelf-life; However, to prolong shelf-life, companies add antioxidants to extend the shelf-life under less favorable conditions (possibility of rancidity).

The Shin Light version of Shin Ramyun has roughly 75% less fat content compared to the original by using the air-dry method instead of the traditional deep-frying method. In this process, the noodles are dehydrated using hot circulating air, which dries the noodles without adding oil. This method enables the company to reduce the fat content substantially while maintaining the chewy texture. Due to this technique, Shin Ramyun Light contains only about 2.5 grams of fat per serving, compared to its 16 grams of fat per serving original counterpart.

However, dehydration may cause texture changes such as cell shrinkage, reduced rehydration capacity, and loss of volatile flavor compounds. Hot-air drying, as used in Shin Ramyun Light, must balance drying speed with product quality. Factors such as air temperature, humidity, and velocity are carefully controlled to minimize metabolic changes in the product and to preserve texture.

Limitations and Future Directions

Limitations

Instant noodles are generally known to be unhealthy due to being highly processed, as well as their high fat and sodium content. Research has shown that instant noodles can cause metabolic syndrome in women and weight gain in all people, as the high fat and sodium content increases blood pressure. Shin Ramyun Light reduces the risk of these issues due to its much lower fat and saturated fat content, but cannot completely eliminate the risk. The light version is still highly processed, contains a high amount of sodium, and lacks a lot of essential nutrients that make up a healthy, balanced meal. Other health risks that Shin Ramyun Light does not mitigate effectively include damage to the liver, damage to the digestive tract, and risk of heart failure. The high level of processing in instant noodles make it challenging for the liver and digestive track to break down and digest, while the high sodium content increases blood pressure, leading to an increased risk of heart issues (heart attack or stroke). Shin Ramyun Light is a good alternative that contains less fat, but a majority of the health risks concerning instant noodles are still present.

Future Directions

New innovations in the instant noodle market are being implemented to provide consumers with healthier and better tasting products. In 2025, some instant noodles are being made with the addition of plant based protein, giving it a boost of nutritional value. Other additions that increase the nutritional value of instant noodles include collagen, adaptogens, and MCT oil. Similar to Shin Ramyun Light, many instant noodle products are coming out with "reduced sodium" or "no MSG" versions that can help reduce the health risks mentioned above. Overall, the instant noodle market is moving towards a healthier product by including more essential nutrients and reducing the ingredients that are harmful in large quantities.

Summary

Shin Ramyun Light is a lower-fat version of the original Shin Ramyun. With a growing demand for convenient yet healthier meals, Shin Light allows people to have a tasty snack without worrying as much about the fat content and caloric density of most instant noodles. This product replaces deep-frying with air-drying during production and uses oils lower in saturated fats, significantly reducing the fat content. Shin Light provides a similar taste, flavor, and texture as the original Shin Ramyun, with less saturated fat and Calories.

Question

Which of the following best explains why the drying method used in Shin Ramyun Light still ensures shelf-stability despite eliminating the deep-frying dehydration step?

A. The noodles are vacuum-sealed, which prevents microbial growth.

B. Hot-air drying inhibits microbial growth and decreases oil content, reducing the risk of rancidity.

C. Seasoning sachets contain preservatives that make the entire product shelf-stable.

D. The product is frozen after drying to halt microbial activity.

Answer:

B

Explanation:

This question presents a key difference in dehydration processes. Although deep-frying reduces moisture content of the instant noodles to a greater degree compared to air-drying, (2-5% vs. 8-12%), hot air-drying reduces the chance of rancidity. Both thermal and dehydration processes impact safety and shelf life without deep-frying. It demonstrates how different methods of moisture removal, such as hot-air drying, can serve as an alternative to oil-frying in reducing fat content in products and extending shelf life.