As per the latest report by IMARC Group, titled “Instant Noodles Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2021-2026,” the global instant noodles market size reached US$ 47.08 Billion in 2020. Instant noodles are one of the most popular packaged food products made using wheat flour, palm oil, water and salt. These noodles are dehydrated using one of the two processes, namely flash or air frying. They generally come with a tastemaker sachet that is added along with hot or boiling water during preparation. Instant noodles are high in fats and carbohydrates, but they have gained immense popularity on account of their portability and ease of making. They are currently available in a wide variety with different types of noodles and flavors.
Due to rapid urbanization and hectic lifestyles, there is a significant rise in the demand for affordable and ready-to-eat (RTE) foods like instant noodles that require minimal cooking time and skills. Moreover, the easy availability of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian product variants with innovative and unique flavors, textures and seasonings/tastemakers is boosting the sales of instant noodles worldwide. Furthermore, the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and the consequent closure of retail stores, is resulting in panic purchasing of food products with a longer shelf life. This, in turn, is positively influencing the demand for instant noodles, especially among households with children and working professionals. However, the leading companies are currently unable to produce or deliver products at optimum capacity on account of the unavailability of labor, supply chain disruptions, and limited availability of raw materials. The market is anticipated to grow once normalcy is regained. Looking forward, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% during 2021-2026.
“China enjoys the leading position in the market”
Based on the type, the market has been bifurcated into fried and non-fried instant noodles. At present, fried instant noodles exhibit a clear dominance in the market.
On the basis of the distribution channel, the market has been segmented into supermarkets/ hypermarkets, specialty stores, convenience stores, online stores and others. Amongst these, supermarkets/hypermarkets account for the majority of the total market share as they provide easy access to different brands, types and flavors of instant noodles.
Region-wise, China enjoys the leading position in the market. Other major regions include the United States, Indonesia, Japan, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea.The competitive landscape of the market has been examined, with some of the key players being Master Kong (Shenyang) Instant Noodle Foodstuff Co., Ltd., Hebei Hualong Food Group, Indofood Sukses Makmur, Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd., Nestlé S.A. and Acecook Vietnam Joint Stock Company.
