China's national standards for instant noodles will soon be made public. They will set strict limits on the use of food additives and nutritional enhancers, and for the first time impose clear levels of protein.

The national standards issue has aroused heated public discussion.

The Beijing Youth Daily says the public doubts the quality of instant noodles because of a lack of knowledge about food additives that have been included.

Food additives should be used to help improve nutrition, food production, processing, transportation and storage.

The new standards require food additives to be clearly marked. Currently in China, there are over 2,000 allowed food additives. The articles adds that consumers should be informed about the qualifying process for additives to promote their understanding of why certain food additives are harmless to their health.

The paper says China has taken a big step forward, but more information is needed to promote public understanding.