Cup Noodles Maker Eyes GLP-1 Craze at Fancy Food Show

Nissin Foods, the maker of Cup Noodles instant ramen, is targeting GLP-1 weight loss drug users with a new product line debuting this week at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York.

Kanzen Meal (Booth #5416), the company’s first foray into the single-serve frozen meal market, was developed using proprietary technology and Japanese culinary techniques to precisely deliver key nutrients while optimizing flavor, according to Nissin Foods.

Marketed as “comfort food for well being,” the lineup includes Fettucine Alfredo, Spaghetti Bolognese and Shrimp Teriyaki. Each serving contains up to 23 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber and more than one-third of the recommended daily values of essential vitamins and minerals, with no added sugar.

Kanzen Meal is slated to roll out to premium and specialty grocers including Bristol Farms, Gelson’s, Nugget Markets and Harris Teeter stores through the summer, with “rapid expansion” planned through the fall and beyond. Each meal will retail for between $6.99 and $7.99.

An estimated three-fourths of U.S. adults are overweight and obese, while about 3% to 5% of the general population have used GLP-1 weight loss drugs to restrict appetite over the past year, according to a Brightfield Group report. But a far greater number – about half of Americans – are actively seeking to shed pounds, leading to outsized opportunities for product developers and marketers.

The launch of Kanzen Meal marks the latest effort by legacy food manufacturers to capitalize on the surging popularity of anti-obesity medications marketed under brand names including Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy. Last year, Nestlé rolled out its Vital Pursuit line of frozen foods geared toward GLP-1 drug users, and Conagra Brands introduced a new badge on select Healthy Choice products to help consumers choose GLP-1-friendly options.

Nissin Foods, a $5 billion company, is not the only exhibitor at the Summer Fancy Food Show tapping into the trend, either. New beverage brand Släcka (Booth #RP519) markets a “hunger-curbing alternative for the booming GLP-1 trend,” featuring a blend of functional ingredients to suppress appetite and provide energy benefits.