Chinese instant noodles giant Master Kong, which vows to contribute to the nation's aerospace industry, has wowed customers with products that are tasty, safe and trustworthy, making people aware of the charm of aerospace with a series of public welfare events.

Master Kong is a household name in China. Its mission is to promote Chinese food and beverage culture and it has long upheld a sustainable development concept. This year marks the 30th anniversary of China's manned space program and also the 30th anniversary of Master Kong, said Richard Chen, the company's chief executive officer.

Aerospace partner

As a long-term aerospace partner of China's industry, the company has been focusing on enhancing the knowledge of aerospace as well as food safety literacy of all people, especially the young.

For instance, the 2022 "Our Space" event, soliciting paintings and photos from the public, hogged the public spotlight. Held from Nov 20 to Dec 15, the event was open to all ages and all works submitted were on the theme of aerospace. A total of 50 paintings and 50 photography works stood out in the fierce competition and were on display under the guidance of experts, the company said. Since Master Kong became a partner of China's aerospace industry in 2017, it has been promoting aerospace science popularization for young people to get their aerospace dreams off the ground. In the past five years, Master Kong has held aerospace science popularization exhibitions in 11 cities — Xi'an, Ankang and Yulin in Shaanxi province, Datong and Taiyuan in Shanxi province, Chengdu in Sichuan province, Jinan in Shandong province, Lhasa in the Tibet autonomous region, Shenzhen in Guangdong province, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and Wuhan in Hubei province, bringing free and interesting interactive aerospace science-related experiences to residents, especially the young. In 2021, Master Kong held the Aerospace Science Popularization and Master Kong Food Safety Exhibition and the National Youth Space Dream Experience Camp in Wuhan, drawing wide attention.

The events aimed to encourage people to learn more about food safety and the aerospace industry. The company said many visitors had a good time immersing themselves in the Space Station exhibition and the Moon Exploration Zone experience.

Roasted Beef Noodles, a signature product of the company, were well received by visitors. Yu-Pin Banquet, which uses advanced technology to retain nutrients and maintain the ingredients' flavor and shape, making them as tasty as dishes served at restaurants, also excited palates.

Such events attracted over 100,000 visitors curious about aerospace and food safety. More than 50,000 primary and middle school students from 20 schools participated in online events, said a company executive. In addition to exhibitions, the company has been hosting an event called Master Kong's Space Dream Experience Camp for many years. The event brings young people together to celebrate unforgettable moments in the history of China's space exploration. Master Kong held the third Dream Experience Camp event in Wenchang, Hainan province, on April 29, 2021. Yuan Hui, a rural teacher, his students and 10 young people from all over the nation witnessed the successful launch of the core module Tianhe, a key part of China's first space station Tiangong.

In December 2020, a group of students were invited by the company to witness the success of the Chang'e 5 robotic mission in Wenchang.

An innovative leader

In addition to the connection with China's aerospace industry, the company boasts high-quality and safe products. With a zero tolerance attitude toward food safety risks, the company's professional capabilities and advanced equipment ensure the quality of its products from farm to fork with the "quality of space products".

In 2021, Master Kong has invested 500 million yuan ($70.77 million) in its Innovation Research and Development Center, which has been accredited by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment. It has also invested in its freeze-dried technology to remove water in fruits and vegetables but retain their nutritional value. Some space food was freeze-dried, the company said.

With a food safety and quality control team of 1,800 employees, more than 3.5 million tests of over 1,500 food safety indicators are done every year, said a company executive.

The company's achievements in food safety management have received wide recognition. In 2021, Master Kong scooped awards such as the 2020-21 Year Excellent Product Innovation Award of China's Instant Food Industry, the 2020-21 Best Innovation Award in China's Instant Food Industry, the 19th China Food Safety Conference Safety Management Top 10 Enterprises and the Food Quality and Safety Award.

Echoing the national call to enhance education on food safety and nutrition among students, the company hosted many public welfare events in 2021 centered about food safety across the nation. Students were encouraged to watch original videos about fun facts of food safety and to take part in online tests about food safety. Consumers are increasingly concerned about the rich cultural connotation of the food and beverages they enjoy, green and low-carbon lifestyle and diversity of choices they have, the company added. Given this fact, the company has developed a great number of new products that are as tasty as can be imagined.

"In the future, we will continue to shoulder the mission of promoting Chinese food and beverage culture to live up to consumers' expectations. Delicious food and beverage products will come to the dining tables of customers one after another," Chen said.