Nissin Foods Co. is accelerating the roll out of new products and plans to sell packaged freshly cut vegetables, as Asian consumers are eating more meals at home in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Hong Kong-listed unit of the Japanese firm, whose founder invented instant noodles after seeing a queue of hungry people outside a food stall in the aftermath of World War II, has launched crab curry-flavored noodles and XO sauce flavor potato sticks in the face of rising demand. Social distancing measures have created new habits that will outlast the outbreak, according to Kiyotaka Ando, company’s chief executive officer.
"Consumer demand increased dramatically after the coronavirus outbreak because people need to stay at home,” Ando said in an interview Tuesday. "Lifestyles will change as people will eat more processed food at home and less outside.”