Instant noodles: Nurse warns parents of hidden danger to children

Children are being burned and scalded from hot instant noodles. Photo / Thinkstock

For countless Kiwi households, instant or two-minute noodles are a pantry staple and can help form a quick and easy dinner after a long day.

But now a nurse has issued a warning to parents to take care when feeding kids two-minute noodles, reports the Daily Mail UK.

Children’s nurse Sarah Hunstead, who runs Australian page CPR Kids, has revealed that if spilled, a bowl of instant noodles can lead to severe burns.

In Australia, health officials have noted an increase in the number of young ones being burned by instant noodles, she explained.

Hunstead shared on Instagram, “Noodles are a popular snack, especially in the colder months, but did you know they are also a common cause of scald burns in toddlers, children and teenagers?”

“Little ones have received serious burns from either pulling a cooling bowl of noodles on top of themselves or spilling them while consuming them.”

So, how can you prevent burns when serving two-minute noodles?

Hunstead recommends draining them of the boiling water you cooked them in before briefly rinsing with cold water in a colander.

“Then check the temperature to see whether they are cool enough to eat,” she continued.

“This way, they will be ready to eat safely without a long wait for them to cool down, and with no scalding water in sight.”

A warning was issued in New South Wales in Australia last year, when five children were hospitalised with burns from two-minute noodles in one week.

In most cases, the children had spilled the hot or boiling water on themselves while carrying a bowl or eating from a bowl in their lap.

Instant noodles can cause burns in young children. Photo / Unsplash

Others were toddlers who had grabbed a bowl of noodles off a table or kitchen bench before they had cooled.

Dr Torey Lawrence, head of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead burns unit in Sydney, said at the time, “Boiling water in hot noodle containers can take an hour to cool down to a safe temperature after cooking.

“This means accidents like spilling the hot water from instant noodles can cause long-lasting injuries and lifelong scarring for children.

“It is important to remember hot food and drink that may be a good temperature for an adult can cause a significant burn to a child.”