Noodles earning billions for China

China turns out 46 billion packages of instant noodles every year, a feat that uses up one tenth of the country’s wheat harvest, a report said today.

Industry sales totalled 29.8 billion yuan (€2.9bn), the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Pan Beilei, vice president of the China National Light Industry Federation, as saying.

Pan was speaking at an industry gathering, where 11 noodle makers signed an agreement to improve the quality and nutritional value of their products.

Chinese supermarket shelves are stacked with dozens of varieties of instant noodles, with seasonings ranging from curry and kimchi to milder chicken and shrimp. Manufacturers plan to diversify their products still further, the report says.

Chinese consume nearly 30 billion packs of instant noodles a year, with Indonesia and Japan the next largest markets, according to industry reports.