Product created to overcome post-war food shortages celebrates 60 years in Brazil, plans to open third factory

Created to address post-war food shortages, Nissin Foods Group’s instant noodles – commonly known as miojo – are celebrating 60 years in Brazil and planning to open their third factory.

Present in Ibiúna, inland São Paulo, and in Glória do Goitá (PE), the Japanese company seeks to expand its operations in Ponta Grossa, in the state of Paraná. Work began in June 2024 and the new factory is expected to come into operation from March 2026.

The unit, according to Nissin, will increase production capacity to meet the growing demand for instant noodles in Brazil, in addition to helping to strengthen the production of products for export and increase the variety of products.

“Currently, 65 products are produced here (in Brazil), emphasizes Kosuke Hara, marketing director of Nissin Foods do Brasil, leader in the national instant noodle market. Currently, the national portfolio is dominated by Nissin Lámen, Cup Noodles and the revolutionary Nissin Yakissoba UFO.

But, as the executive points out, the Brazilian’s preference is beyond doubt. “We have very regionalized flavors, like couscous. But here, the preferred flavor is oven-cooked free-range chicken.” The flavor is so successful that, according to Hara, it has piqued the curiosity of many other countries.

“At the moment, there is no flavor identical to free-range chicken outside of Brazil. But that could probably change in the near future. Indeed, traders in other countries are watching it because of its reputation,” he adds.

For the marketing director, born and raised in Japan, what caught his attention the most upon his arrival in Brazil was identifying the particular way in which Brazilians consumed instant noodles. “Unlike the Japanese, who strictly follow the preparation method described on the packaging, Brazilians ignore it and have their own consumption method.”

While Japanese consumers favor broth, those in Brazil have a clear preference for noodles, as he explains. “Therefore, over the years the product has undergone adaptations linked to Brazilian food culture, which include the composition of the seasoning, the texture of the noodles, the density of the seasoning and the intensity of the flavor,” explains Hara, who cites the creation of a healthier and more fitness version of the product as the company’s new challenge.

How was Nissin born?

In 1958, in search of a practical and affordable food in a context of food shortages worsened by World War II, Momofuku Ando created Chikin Ramen, the world’s first instant noodles. The product stands out mainly for its ease of preparation, limited to the addition of hot water.

But Ando didn’t stop his innovation there. In 1971, after a visit to the United States, during which he noticed Americans’ predilection for eating instant noodles from a cup, Cup Noodles were born.

Shortly before, in 1965, instant noodles arrived in Brazil through the Miojo company. In 1981, the first Nissin Foods factory in Brazil was opened in Ibiúna (SP), reinforced 31 years later with the opening of the Glória do Goitá (PE) factory in 2012.

In 2005, Lámen went to space, and not figuratively. Space Ram, a special version of instant noodles eaten by Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard a space shuttle.