The World Instant Noodles Association, in a summit hosted in the Philippines by Monde Nissin Corporation, has adopted a Manila Declaration, which sets voluntary targets for the industry to make their products healthier and more responsive to environmental and social concerns. 

WINA announced that it will actively promote initiatives in the four key areas of nutrition and health, environmental sustainability, food safety, and solving social issues. 

Monde Nissin Chief Executive Henry Soesanto said, “Here in Manila, we declare that we, as a united instant noodles industry, are dedicated to addressing relevant social issues facing the world. 

“We commit to continue collaborating in creating positive change through specific actions based on the WINA Challenge Target.”

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

Participants had thorough discussions on actions that the industry should take, such as how to address global nutritional challenges and food crises, as well as how to 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 the session on solving social issues featured discussion on the importance of collaboration and ideas for initiatives that transcend national borders and cultural differences to address the various issues facing the world.

For nutrition and health, manufacturers focus on producing healthier products through initiatives such as reducing salt and fat and improving nutritional balance. 

In terms of sustainability, they are implementing initiatives to use resources efficiently, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and energy consumption, and promoting renewable energy. 

For food safety, manufacturers will ensure safety from raw materials to consumption through initiatives such as strict quality control and accurate product information. 

They will also aim to contribute to people’s well-being through activities such as providing disaster relief and supporting sustainable farming. 

Soesanto said that, in the Philippines, there is actually a low per capita consumption of 40 packs of instant noodles per year out of over 1,000 meals consumed during the period.

Since instant noodles are being blamed for high blood pressure, diabetes and urinary tract infection despite the low per capital consumption rate, Soesanto said Monde Nissin has been reducing the salt content of its noodle product Lucky Me.

However, he noted that they cannot reduce it too much since it affects the taste and consumers will  won’t buy it anymore if does’t taste good. 

“Salt is used to perk the taste. But if you reduce it, people should not notice it. So little by little we reduce it,” Soesanto said, adding that it has reduced the salt content more than the WINA target of 10 percent by 2030.