Chinese instant noodles market

Instant noodles are an essential part of life for many people in China and other Asian countries, thanks to their convenience, cost and taste.

Chinese people consume more than 40 billion packets of instant noodles annually, accounting for half of the world's total. But instant noodles have been losing favor in China recently, especially among lower-income consumers.

Chinese instant noodle retailers are struggling to bounce back amid rising concerns over several issues, such as beliefs that instant noodles are junk food and have no nutritional value, or that they can cause heart disease.

In the third quarter of 2014, the sales volume of instant noodles declined 9.1 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, revenues fell 4.4 percent, according to a report by global market research firm Nielsen.

The Nielsen report shows that three-quarters of the interviewees said they were willing to pay a higher price to buy healthy food, including natural food without artificial flavoring, and non-genetically modified food.