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[Eva Pilot]

TOKYO (AP) - Momofuku Ando, the Japanese inventor of instant noodles has died. He was 96.

Nissin Food Products, the company Ando founded, said on its Web site that he died Friday after suffering a heart attack.

Born on March 5, 1910, in Taiwan, Ando initially ran clothing companies in Taipei and Osaka while he was a student at Ritsumeikan University. In 1948, he founded the precursor to Nissin and in 1958 unveiled Chicken Ramen, the world's first instant noodle product.

Ando was inspired to develop the instant noodle after coming upon a long line of people on a cold night shortly after World War II. They were waiting to buy freshly made ramen at a black market food stall.

The experience convinced him that "peace will come to the world when the people have enough to eat," according to Nissin.

In 1971, Nissin introduced the Cup Noodle featuring instant ramen in a waterproof plastic foam container. Dubbed the "Ramen King," Ando is credited with expanding Nissin into the No. 1 company in the industry and was well-known for his dedication to his work.

Kei Kizugawa, head of the journal Kamigata Geino, said Ando was a great food product inventor whose accomplishments equaled that of Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. "I believe generation after generation will talk about Chicken Ramen," Kizugawa said. "I don't think there will ever be an instant noodle product that beats the taste of Chicken Ramen."

In 1999, Ando opened the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture, after installing his second son, Koki, as president of the company.

Ando retired from the chairman's post in June 2005 to serve as founder-chairman.

In July 2005, Nissin introduced a vacuum packed instant noodle specially designed for Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi to eat during a mission aboard the U.S. space shuttle Discovery.

Showcasing his Space Ram noodles, Ando said, "I'm happy I've realized my dream that noodles can go into space."

The Japan Times
(C) All rights reserved



Farewell to a man who has had an influence on all of our lives I am sure! Who here hasn't ever eaten cup noodles. I am sure there are some members here (myself included) that would be in trouble without cup ramen.

RIP ramen ojiisan.

[yamanote senbei]

Heart attack? Who'd figure?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_ramen

[Eva Pilot]

He lived to be 96. I think we can safely say that instant ramen didn't kill him.

[wintersweet]

I think he was not just born in Taiwan, but was ethnically Taiwanese. I could be wrong, though.

Mm, noodles.

[yamanote senbei]

He might have lived longer if he didn't eat his own product.

Taiwan had been under Japanese rule for around fifteen years before Ando was born.

[ripslyme]

Yamanote, you consider 96 years old as being sent to an early grave? You're one tough cookie to please.

[yamanote senbei]

Who said anything about early graves?

[johncanada24]

You think his death is that bad.

Try meeting:
Dave thomas from Wendy's Or better yet
Kernel Sanders


Now those 2 we can probably blame on their food.

[Henry_Cowell]

The name Matsus h ita is "beeped" by Dave's ESL Cafe???

Sheesh...

[ripslyme]

[yamanote senbei]

[furiousmilksheikali]

I believe it should even be "Colonel" Sanders.

Trivia question: What does he and "Colonel" Tom Parker have in common?

[yamanote senbei]

Uh, they both jumped off Ebisubashi?

[sallycat]

not real colonels.

[johncanada24]