For decades, a bowl of instant noodles was the ultimate "guilty pleasure" — quick, cheap and savory, yet shadowed by a reputation for being heavily processed and oil-soaked. That era has officially reached a tipping point.

In a landmark shift for the industry, non-fried products have overtaken traditional deep-fried noodles in market share for the first time.

According to an industry blue book released on Tuesday in Chengdu, Sichuan province, these health-focused alternatives now command 52 percent of China's 150-billion-yuan ($21.7 billion) instant noodle market, with the fried variety accounting for 48 percent. The blue book was compiled by noodle maker Sichuan Baijia Akuan Food, the Sichuan Food Network and the Chengdu Food Industry Association.

Unlike traditional frying, nonfried products are dried using alternative methods such as microwave and vacuum technology, or hot-air drying. The nutritional impact is significant, with a 100-gram serving of non-fried instant noodles containing 18.3 grams less oil than the fried variety, the blue book said.

Statistics from the blue book show that students and white-collar workers aged 18 to 45 form the core consumer base of the nonfried segment, accounting for over 55 percent.

Li Ting, a 25-year-old operations specialist at an internet company, often reaches for instant noodles or regional specialty noodle products like luosifen (river snail rice noodles from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region) and suanlafen (sour and spicy rice noodles from Sichuan) when work gets busy.

But these days, Li no longer just grabs whatever is on the shelf. Instead, she will check the nutritional information for calories, sodium and trans fat.

"Non-fried products definitely appeal to me more — they feel healthier," she said, though she admitted there's a catch. "If the fried one tastes way better, I'd probably still go for it."

Liu Yannan, a 21-year-old university student, said he is not picky about taste or overly concerned about health when it comes to instant foods. That said, a healthier option is always a nice bonus for him.

"I'd go for non-fried, even if fried tastes better," he said.

This shift in consumer behavior is not lost on retailers. Yu Xuxi, director of the non-refrigerated division at snack retailer Yummy Snack, said young consumers are paying much closer attention to ingredient lists when they buy instant foods.

"Zero-fried and zero-trans-fat have become key factors in their purchasing decisions," he said.

"The strong repurchase rates of zero-fried products in our stores show that the market is embracing healthier solutions."

Chen Zhaohui, chairman and president of Sichuan Baijia Akuan Food Industrial Co, said consumers' rising demand for healthier options has pushed major industrial players to expand into the once niche non-fried category.

"Key breakthroughs in drying technologies in recent years have also propelled zero-fried as a growing industry trend," he added.

At the blue book launch, Akuan Food open-sourced its non-fried technology and called on industry partners across the supply chain, along with research institutions, to collaborate on advancing health processing technologies.

Hu Yuanqiang, a food industry expert and deputy editor-in-chief of the Sichuan Food Network, said the historical shift has been fueled by surging health demand, technological maturity and innovation in plant-based ingredients.

"Zero-fried is not a marketing gimmick," Hu said. "It's reshaping the competitive landscape, shifting the battleground from price and flavor to technology and value, with health at the core."

The blue book forecasts that the non-fried segment will maintain annual growth of 18 to 20 percent over the next three years, with its market size expected to reach 120 billion yuan within five years.

It also indicates that the industry's health focus will move beyond non-fried to include healthier ingredients, balanced nutrition and end-to-end quality control — all without compromising on taste.

Li Huaxue, client director at market research institute Kantar Worldpanel, said 63 percent of Chinese consumers are taking action to improve their health, with weight management, sugar control and fat reduction as their core goals.

To seize opportunities in this fast-growing segment, brands must focus on clean labels and low sodium, calories and glycemic index, while also innovating in how they connect with consumers, she said.

Mu Mengyao and Ji Xu contributed to this story.

pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn