Monde clearing path for food security, healthier products

MANILA, Philippines — Snack food giant Monde Nissin Corp. continues to lead in clearing the path for better and healthier products as part of the company’s efforts to contribute to food security.

“As a leader in the food and beverage industry in the Philippines, we recognize our capacity to contribute to food security by growing our portfolio of better and healthier food so consumers have more choices. We strive to improve our products through constant innovation while maintaining the delicious taste consumers love,” Monde CEO Henry Soesanto said.

Lucky Me! instant noodles have been fortified with essential vitamins and minerals like iron and vitamin A, as indicated on its front-of-pack labels.

The manufacturer also adopted high-speed Airflow technology and natural preservatives like green tea extract to reduce the sodium content by 25 percent and saturated fat by 50 percent in all its Lucky Me! products.

Aside from instant noodles, the global food and beverage company is also behind iconic and market-leading brands across fast-growing categories such as SkyFlakes crackers, Fita crackers, Monde baked goods and Quorn meat alternative products.

Last February, Manila hosted the 11th World Instant Noodles Association (WINA) Summit to tackle key issues and challenges faced in the manufacturing and sale of instant noodles. These include improving nutrition content and value.

Soesanto, who also serves as WINA director general, said the instant noodles industry remains committed to addressing global issues through sustainable innovations to empower consumers worldwide.

According to WINA, the Philippines ranks seventh worldwide in instant noodle consumption, dominated by Lucky Me! However, even a beloved product must also adapt to changing industry trends.

Healthier food options

During the two-day summit, National Nutrition Council of the Philippines executive director Azucena Dayanghirang and former World Health Organization director Naoko Yamamoto discussed the importance of responding to the growing demand for healthier food options through ingredient and labeling innovations.

Dayanghirang said nutrition transparency plays a crucial role in consumer health, mainly through Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labeling (FOPNL).

“By integrating FOPNL into food policies, we create an environment that empowers consumers to make healthier and more informed choices. These clear indicators simplify complex nutritional data, making it easier for individuals to understand what they consume,” she said.

“Warning labels such as ‘high in sugar’ or ‘high in sodium’ have been shown to reduce processed food consumption. At the same time, they push producers to improve their products, which leads to a healthier food environment overall,” she added.

More than 250 people from WINA member companies attended the Manila Summit, including instant noodle manufacturers and raw material suppliers worldwide.

Participants tackled actions that the industry should take, such as how to address global nutritional challenges and food crises and contribute to solving environmental issues such as climate change.

Forums were held on nutrition and health, environmental sustainability, food safety, and solving social issues, featuring content such as expert lectures and joint sessions with instant noodle manufacturers.

In terms of sustainability, participants vowed to implement initiatives to use resources efficiently, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and energy consumption, and promoting renewable energy.

Manila Declaration

On the summit’s final day, WINA formally announced the WINA Challenge Targets, a set of voluntary goals for the global instant noodle industry. These targets outline specific commitments in four key areas: Nutrition and health by reducing salt and fat content while improving nutritional balance; environmental sustainability by cutting greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing waste, and increasing renewable energy use; food safety by strengthening quality control measures across the supply chain and social responsibility by supporting disaster relief efforts and sustainable farming practices.

Instant noodle manufacturers like Nissin, Nongshim and Nestle have also committed to continued efforts to meet their nutrient fortification and reduce sodium and fat targets.