Nearly every household in the Philippines is familiar with Lucky Me! and its various instant noodle products. The brand has become a staple dish for every Filipino, young or old, looking for a quick yet filling meal. Kantar’s latest Brand Footprint Report awarded Lucky Me! as the Brand of the Decade since the brand has consistently been part of the Top 10 Most Chosen Brands in the Philippines for the past decade.
Monde Nissin developed several variants of Lucky Me! Pancit Canton instant noodles cater to everyone’s flavor preferences. Yet despite the accessibility, since Lucky Me! products are affordable and available almost everywhere, but few people know the truth behind their production.
The process begins with wheat sourced from fields located overseas. A barge then ships these natural ingredients to a port in the Philippines, where trucks from Monde Nissin retrieve batches to bring to their noodle factories. Once in the noodle factories, the wheat becomes the flour.
First, machines mix the wheat flour with water to create a dough with the right consistency. Afterward, it moves on to the following process, flattening. Once the dough is ready, it’s curled to become the iconic noodles Filipinos know today. The curly noodles are more than just for design or distinction. The curls allow steam to enter the noodles for faster cooking.
After curling the dough, it’s steamed and then cut before frying to maintain its shape and maintain lengthy shelf life. Lucky Me! noodles can last for six months after manufacturing. Afterward, the noodles pass through another machine for cooling. Its last process involves packaging, where noodles are put in their distinctive wrappers and added flavor packets before going in boxes for shipping.
Monde Nissin prides itself on using high-quality ingredients in making its Lucky Me! noodles. It has a NAPA seal, which means “no artificial preservatives added.” The only preservative they use is a green tea extract, which serves as an antioxidant to prolong the noodles’ shelf life.
The brand also clarified that they don’t use ethylene oxide when processing food. They added that although ethylene oxide is also present in some processed food, it shouldn’t cause any alarm because it quickly dissipates.
Before, most of the raw ingredients went to their factory in Sta. Rosa, Laguna for production. Monde Nissin now proudly opens the doors to its Malvar, Batangas plant, which just became operational in August 2021. The new plant is highly efficient and agile. It also follows a flow-through design and flow-to-work organization, resulting in a smoother process throughout the production with less human intervention. More importantly, it implements automation and solutions through technology and IT resources.
One of the recent developments from Monde Nissin is the Lucky Me! Pancit Canton is their limited edition flavor that mixes two of the public’s favorites, resulting in the Extra Chiliman Hot and SweetSpicy Mansi variants.
For more than three decades, Lucky Me! provided Filipinos with accessible yet filling dishes. Its new facilities and staunch dedication to quality show why the brand is known as the Philippines’ “pambansang noodles.”