Jinmailang Food Co, one of China's biggest noodle chains by market value, confirmed Thursday that it is applying for re-examination after its products were found to contain excessive acid value which may cause diarrhea and liver disease.

The company's instant noodles were found to be under qualified due to excessive acid value during a spot check by the Henan Administration for Industry and Commerce in May.

According to London-based market research firm Euromonitor International, the market share of Jinmailang was 12 percent in 2010, the second largest after Master Kong's 35.7 percent.

The acid value is a parameter to test oil quality, and the lower the index, the higher the refined degree and freshness of food.

"The acid value of fried food including instant noodles can easily go up if the oil is reused again and again, or if the oil is of bad quality," Fan Zhihong, a professor of food security at China Agricultural University, told the Global Times.

Dong Jinshi, a food safety consultant with the China Internet Information Center, told the Global Times that almost all instant noodles brands are prone to having the problem of high acid value, with the exception of Wugudaochang, a non-fried noodle brand under the State-owned COFCO Ltd, China's biggest food import and export company by output and revenue.

"The high acid value is created in the process of frying with reused oil, so fried food is not healthy compared with non-fried food," said Dong.

"Next time if I have to eat instant noodles somehow, I will avoid Jinmailang brand," said Liang Jinyan, a Beijing consumer.

Founded in 1996, Xingtai-based Jinmailang Food Co manufactures noodles and other snack food.

Global Times