Last year, the泛 convenience noodle industry reached a scale of 150 billion yuan, with river snail noodles, spicy and sour noodles, and sour soup noodles becoming the growth engines.

How are health demands driving the scale of zero-fried convenience foods to surpass traditional fried options?

The rapid expansion of food delivery services has not diminished the scale of the convenience food industry. According to reports, by 2025, the market size of China’s pan-instant noodle industry is expected to reach 150 billion yuan (narrow-scope data: brand pre-packaged products), growing by over 40% compared to 2020, becoming a core pillar of the instant food sector.

On March 24, the “Zero-Fried (Non-Fried) New-Type Healthy Convenience Food Development Report Blue Book” (hereinafter referred to as the “Blue Book”), co-edited by Sichuan Food Network, Chengdu Food Industry Association, and Baijia Akun, was released. The “Blue Book” states that regional flavor instant foods have become the core engine for industry growth, with products like sour and spicy rice noodles from Southwest China achieving nationwide popularity through industrialized production.

The convenience noodle industry had faced a decline for several years due to the impact of food delivery services, but in recent years, it has maintained steady growth even amid fierce competition in the food delivery sector. Food industry expert and deputy editor of Sichuan Food Network, Hu Yuanqiang, told Caixin that the main reasons are the vigorous development of various non-instant noodle convenience foods and the full push of non-fried products.

Looking back at the history of instant noodles, they were invented in Japan in 1958; in 1980, instant noodles appeared in China, during which time frying technology was used; in 2000, non-fried noodles and rice noodles hit the market; in 2015, quick-cooking noodles and pre-packaged wet noodles emerged; and in 2022, diversified convenience foods exploded.

The “Blue Book” shows that in terms of market share by segment, traditional fried instant noodles still hold a core position in the industry, with a market size of 72 billion yuan by 2025, accounting for 48%, achieving a year-on-year growth rate of 6.21%; convenience rice noodles (including rice noodles, noodle strips, wide noodles, etc.) have become the fastest-growing segment, with a market size reaching 38 billion yuan by 2025, and a compound annual growth rate of 20% over the past three years; the market size for grain instant foods is 22 billion yuan, maintaining a growth rate of 15%.

Hu Yuanqiang also stated that by 2025, the scale of “zero-fried” convenience noodles will surpass that of fried varieties for the first time. In 2025, the market for “zero-fried” instant foods is expected to reach 78 billion yuan (accounting for 52%), surpassing fried varieties (accounting for 48%), achieving a historic leap. This turning point is driven by the surge in health demands, technological maturity, and plant-based innovations.

According to GB17400-2015 “National Food Safety Standards for Instant Noodles,” instant noodles are divided into fried and non-fried categories based on the production process. Among them, non-fried instant noodles are dried using processes other than frying (such as microwave, vacuum, hot air, etc.). In marketing promotions, manufacturers often use the term “zero-fried.”

The “Blue Book” indicates that the market share of the “zero-fried” segment has increased from less than 10% in 2015 to 52% by 2025, becoming the core driving force for industry growth. By 2025, the market size for “zero-fried” pan-instant foods will reach 78 billion yuan, including “zero-fried” instant noodles at 18 billion yuan, “zero-fried” rice noodles at 38 billion yuan, and “zero-fried” grain and composite instant foods at 22 billion yuan, with rice noodles becoming the core growth driver of the “zero-fried” category.

Chen Zhaohui, chairman and president of Sichuan Baijia Akun Food Industry Co., Ltd., also stated that in the past, non-fried convenience foods were niche and marginalized products, but now, with the rising health demands of consumers, mainstream industry players are increasingly investing in the non-fried sector, making the market much broader.

However, Hu Yuanqiang also indicated that the surpassing of fried categories by “zero-fried” may not be immediately perceptible to everyone, primarily because the “zero-fried” convenience food categories are numerous, with many brands that are not strong, and few big brands; at the same time, sales channels are mainly online, lacking the visibility of traditional instant noodles concentrated in supermarkets, and they are not dominated by a few major brands like instant noodles.

The “Blue Book” states that convenience rice noodles and noodle strips are the segments with the greatest growth potential within the pan-instant noodle industry, with a market size of 38 billion yuan by 2025. Their core advantages lie in healthy ingredients (natural raw materials such as rice, sweet potatoes, potatoes), rich regional flavors, and diverse textures, aligning with consumer demands for “healthiness and personalization,” making them central to industry innovation.

Among them, in terms of flavor patterns, Southwest flavors lead the nation, with Liuzhou snail noodles becoming the absolute mainstream, accounting for over 50% of the sales volume in ready-to-eat rice noodle products. Thanks to its unique flavor of “sour, spicy, fresh, and stinky,” snail noodles have become a representative of trendy instant foods, with brands such as Luobo Wang, Hao Huan Luo, and Li Ziqi promoting snail noodles from a local snack in Liuzhou to a nationwide category, even exporting to over 30 countries and regions worldwide.

In addition to snail noodles, regional flavors such as Guizhou sour soup noodles, Yunnan crossed-bridge rice noodles, Chengdu sour and spicy noodles, and Nanchang mixed noodles are also quickly breaking out, with Guilin rice noodles and raw boiled rice noodles becoming the two fastest-growing categories by 2025, demonstrating the market potential for diversified segments. Northern flavors mainly feature clear soup and sauce, adapting to the taste preferences of Northern consumers, with market shares steadily increasing.

Hu Yuanqiang believes that the “zero-fried” category is expected to maintain a high growth rate of 18%-20% over the next three years, with the market size continuing to expand; over the next ten years, it will significantly surpass the growth rate of fried noodles, changing the production and consumption ecology of convenience foods.

(This article is from Caixin)