Comments on: The Great Top Ramen Conspiracy?

By: Christi Leigh

Christi Leigh — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:25:55 +0000

In order to determine whether the price is indeed unchanged, we would need to know the exact price of Ramen Noodle during the 1980's. While $0.20 a pack is cheap, I seem to remember the price being even lower, when the little miracle meals started hitting the market. My memory reflects $0.05 to $0.10 a pack in the old days, so it might be that because Ramen is still so ridiculously cheap by comparison to other groceries, our memories are hazy toward the rising cost, which is negligible to our Western consumer mindset.

By: Thatguy

Thatguy — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:52:52 +0000

simple. Look at how long ramen lasts in its preserved package. Taken into account that its probably made more of preservatives and filler (woodchips etc..) than it is of flour, you can mass produce it anytime and just stockpile it. College kids keep their business alive and they continue to exist. In all honesty, coming from an Asian- Asia has a reputation of making cheap product with as least amount of effort and cost as possible. So the couple cents you pay for that ramen is probably just about right, no need to change the price when the economy busts because it needs to be the go-to food if your wallets empty..
At least thats just my opinion.

By: Kel

Kel — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:56:13 +0000

I've kidded sometimes that Ramen was subsidized by the government to give poor people a way to stay alive. I'm starting to wonder if it may be true. $1.98 for twelve packs at WalMart the other day.

By: apples

apples — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:22:08 +0000

So it's not just me, Nissin *did* change the formula! I've been eating their stuff for years and was always very happy with it, and recently when we finally ran out of the bulk supply and had to get some more, I noticed the difference. This is worse than New Coke! ! !

By: Larry

Larry — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:27:12 +0000

Yeah, what "someone knowledgeable" said.

@Mark - And here I thought I was the only one that liked to snack on raw noodles. Cool!

By: lol

lol — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:36:31 +0000

"coopins" lol

By: capricious

capricious — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 04:54:18 +0000

Wait, if you write and complain they'll give you noodle coopins?!%?@#%?

*lightbulb*

By: MARK

MARK — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 02:26:32 +0000

Because i LOVE Top Ramen, I had lived on these during college. Now a bit older, I wanted to have a little big of nostalgia by enjoying some delicious Top Ramen noodles. Only Top Ramen would do as every other noodle was doughy and didn't have that smooth, light and delicious noodles that Top Ramen has. Top Ramen was the the only company that could come close to their own Cup O'Noodles. The noodles were like no other ramen out there on the retail American market.

To my utter disappointment, the noodles are now just like the Black and White Generic Brand now. Honestly, i know the taste, the crispness has been replaced with almost staleness, the smoothness of the noodles was replaced with the doughyness that all other brands had.

I wrote Nissin twice and both times they chose to not address my questions as to what happened, why they changed the product, and my request for the old product. Instead, they sent me coupons, for... thats right more Ramen noodles.

I am very saddened by this answer and and in the search for a new noodle. I will not buy Top Ramen ever again...

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:25:55 +0000

I have also noticed a change in taste. I'm not sure if it is because of the flavoring or the noodles, but either way, I'm pretty mad about it.

By: Ramen Lover

Ramen Lover — Tue, 18 May 2010 08:03:09 +0000

I have definitley noticed a change in taste recently. I used to love Top Ramen, and that brand only. The others tasted cheap. Now Top Ramen is starting to taste more and more like them. I'm not sure I want to spend anymore money on it at all. I remember in the old days how the noodles seemed nice and fresh and crisp. Now they're more hard, more yellowish looking than whitish. There's no need for them to change their recipe. If they would keep the same recipe and just charge more, I know I would buy them at the inflated price. But the way they are now, they can keep em.

By: Someone knowledgeable

Someone knowledgeable — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:36:10 +0000

If you take a course on financial accounting, you'll learn exactly how to read the statements that you will find at this website because it's a publicly traded company (based in Japan, but their website does provide an English version of their earnings statements), you can view such things as operating expenses, capital expenditures, etc. The key ratio I've noticed is, "net profit margin" which has lowered in the past year. So basically, the costs of food has hit them a little bit, but they have always been charging enough to give themselves a nice cushion (which is a good idea for any company). So as to how they could charge the same price of noodles over 30 years, it's because they have probably continually reduced operating expenses (more efficient machines, laid off redundant positions and stream-lined things, all which the technological revolution has had tremendous effect with something called, "Supply-Chain Management" which involves using the Internet and databases of computers to minimize the usage of storage (which costs money to rent obviously) and minimizes transit time while maximizing effectiveness in terms of reaching the seller as quickly as possible) . Also, fluctuations in the trading value of the Yen versus the Dollar have probably had an effect as well. Hope that clears things up

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:34:32 +0000

Funny. But it's not that the noodle they are making are the same price, it's that the noodles you are buying are the same ones they made in 1980. They had one production run and are still working their way through the first batch. I mean that's got to be it, have you seen the packaging on this stuff - it's so 80s.

By: Greg Bulmash

Greg Bulmash — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:27:55 +0000

Top Ramen is people! They're making our noodles out of people!

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:53:47 +0000

Two words….."Soylent Green"! O.o

By: walker

walker — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:48:20 +0000

When you find out, let me know, I'll be heading to college in the fall.