Posted: Tue, 12/06/2011 - 11:13am
By: TFogoros
How do you feel about the subject of instant noodles or Cup of Noodles? For me they represent a time of innocence. Discovered on the market shelf by an individual who has just moved into a first apartment or a college dorm. Just add boiling water and let sit for about 3 minuets for a cheap, easy, hot and tasty meal! For others a Cup of Noodles may be a childhood memory of a hot after school snack.
The harsh reality is this meal is the cause of severe burns on a weekly basis. Burn Unit reports range from 2 to 6 a week. Unfortunately many of these victims are small children or toddlers. A lot can happen in the 3 minuets the noodles are steeping. Distractions such as a phone call, doorbell, or other children in the home can leave the cup of boiling water unattended and accessible for accidents. These products also contain noodles that have been associated with more severe burns. The noodles cling to the skin and increase the degree of burn rather than rinsing away.
Accidents could be decreased by changes to the design of the cup. Some manufactures have marketed this type of product in a low flat bowl. However, others strive to maintain the Cup of Soup image. Nissin Foods is the manufacture of the Cup Noodles brand most of us are familiar with. They provide a tall cup that increases in width as it goes up. The base is unstable and lightweight. Ironically the Nissin website is full of bright color representing a fun family feeling. Specifically the Cup Noodles page displays a boy and a girl not more than 10 or 12 laughing and smiling. It does not appear to have any warning as to the potential danger of this product.
I wonder why a company would continue to offer a packaging so susceptible to causing severe bodily injury. Many of these types of burns end up needing surgery and patients can face permanent scarring or limited mobility in their joints. Ironically companies like Nissan could still maintain the current marketing as a Cup if they simply flipped the proportions of the container. Similar to a yogurt container it would be more stable if it were wider at the bottom and narrow at the top. Some how the idea of avoiding spilling yogurt is important yet a container of hot water is perfectly fine to be teetering on danger.
Tags: Burns, Instant Soup Cup, Cup Noodles
