Noodle Soup Presents Risk to Children

Burn Injury

Instant noodle soup cups are a staple convenience food at grocery and convenience stores.  They come in many shapes and are commonly marketed to families with children as a fast and convenient meal or meal on-the-go.  Unfortunately for children ages 4 to 12, certain instant soup containers present a significant danger.  The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that scald burns from instant soups account for more than 9,500 medical visits for child scald burns each year in the United States.  Many of these painful injuries can be prevented with safer container design and proper warnings.  For example, certain instant soup brands use a Styrofoam container that is tall, narrow at the bottom, and wide at the top.  This particular shape is extremely susceptible to tipping when filled with hot water and accounts for a significant amount of the childhood burn statistic.  A simple redesign of the container to provide a wider base, shorter height, and adequate warnings would reduce the frequency of these burns.