The output of instant noodles, or "ramyeon" in Korean, stood at 1.93 million tons in 2020, up a whopping 231 percent from a year earlier, according to the data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Strong exports were cited as the main reason for the spike in production of instant noodles. Instant noodles thus placed first in terms of the export value among local food products, up from second place a year earlier. Industry watchers said South Korean instant noodles became more popular abroad as the COVID-19 outbreak forced more people to stay home. Carbonated drinks ranked second in terms of output with 1.87 million tons in 2020, according to the data, followed by flour with 1.82 million tons, beer with 1.5 million tons and sugar with 1.43 million tons.

Source: The Nation Bangkok February 22, 2022 02:23 UTC