In-Depth Analysis of He Fu Noodle's Central Kitchen Model and Pre-Made Dishes Controversy

Based on the latest information I have collected, I will systematically analyze the relationship between He Fu Noodle’s central kitchen model and the pre-made dishes controversy from three dimensions:

legal definition, business logic, and consumer perception

I. Event Background: He Fu Noodle Ensnared in “Pre-Made Dishes” Storm

In early January 2026, the topic “He Fu Noodle only cooks the noodles fresh” topped Weibo’s hot search list. The incident originated from multiple consumers reporting that they saw a large number of pre-packaged ingredient bags in the back kitchen of He Fu Noodle stores. Among the noodle dishes with a unit price of 30 to 40 yuan,

only the noodles are freshly cooked on-site, while the toppings and soup bases are heated from pre-packaged bags

[1].

According to a field visit by a reporter from Shandong Business Daily to a store in Jinan:

Staff place cooked noodles into a bowl, then open sealed soup packets and vacuum-sealed topping packets for assembly……From opening, heating to assembly and serving, pre-packaged ingredients are used throughout the process[2].

II. Can the Central Kitchen Model Avoid Pre-Made Dishes Controversy?

1. Legal Definition

According to the

Notice on Strengthening Food Safety Supervision of Pre-Made Dishes and Promoting High-Quality Industrial Development

jointly issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation and five other departments in March 2024, pre-made dishes are clearly defined as:

Pre-packaged dishes made from one or more edible agricultural products and their products, processed through industrial pre-treatment (such as mixing, marinating, stir-frying, frying, roasting, boiling, steaming, etc.),
which are edible only after heating or cooking
[3].

Key Clause

For chain catering enterprises that widely adopt the central kitchen model, the prepared vegetables, semi-finished products, and finished dishes produced by themselves and distributed to their own stores shall comply with food safety laws, regulations, and standards for catering. Dishes produced by central kitchens are not included in the scope of pre-made dishes

.[3]

2. He Fu Noodle’s Legal Basis

He Fu Noodle’s customer service responded: “The dishes are produced by the central kitchen and then distributed to each store,

and are not within the scope of pre-made dishes

”[4].

From a legal perspective, He Fu Noodle does indeed

not violate regulations by using pre-made dishes

, as its central kitchen model is

explicitly excluded from the category of pre-made dishes

in official definitions.

III. The Essence of the Controversy: Breakdown in Consumer Value Perception

1. Gap Between Pricing and Actual Product

Item	Actual Situation	Consumer Expectation
Price	30-40 yuan/bowl	Premium positioning
Noodles	Freshly cooked	Freshly cooked
Soup base	Distributed from central kitchen in pre-packaged bags	Freshly simmered on-site
Toppings	Heated from pre-packaged bags	Made on-site

Jiang Han, senior researcher at the Pangu Think Tank, pointed out:

“The pricing of catering is essentially a comprehensive reflection of brand, scenario, and operating costs. He Fu Noodle has established a premium image with the concept of ‘study + health-preserving noodles’, but when consumers discover that only the noodles are freshly cooked, while the soup bases and toppings are all pre-made packages, a
serious breakdown between value perception and actual product
occurs. When consumers pay a premium for ‘freshly made’ and ‘health-preserving’ features, they are essentially buying the ‘non-industrial’ handcrafted feel and trust.”[5]

2. Controversy Over Consumer Right to Know

Although the central kitchen model is not classified as pre-made dishes under the law, the

consumer’s right to know and right to choose

still remains a gray area:

Currently, there are no relevant laws or regulations at the
national level mandating the labeling of pre-made dishes in the catering industry
Jiangsu Province has taken the lead in legislating to require the explicit disclosure of pre-made dishes in catering
, but this has not been popularized at the national level
Consumers generally report that it is difficult to know whether the dishes they consume are pre-made dishes[5]

IV. Advantages and Limitations of the Central Kitchen Model

Advantages

Aspect	Description
Standardization	Unified recipes and processes ensure consistent taste across different stores
Large-scale expansion	Supports rapid expansion, with He Fu Noodle planning to open over 2,000 stores by 2026[5]
Quality control	Centralized production facilitates supervision, enabling full-chain traceability from “farm to table”[6]
Efficiency	Reduces store operating costs and labor costs

Limitations

Aspect	Description
Transparency	Industrial operations in the back kitchen conflict with consumers’ expectation of “freshly made”
Trust crisis	The sensory impact of a back kitchen full of plastic bags conflicts with the brand’s premium positioning
Price sensitivity	85.2% of consumers can accept a price of no more than 30 yuan, while nearly half of He Fu Noodle’s products are priced between 30-40 yuan[5]

V. Industry Trends and Recommendations

1. Industry Background

The application of pre-made dishes in the catering industry is already a common phenomenon, but

there have been ongoing disputes over its definition and regulation

. Su Jing, assistant dean of the Xinhua School of International Communication at Tsinghua University, stated:

“Central kitchens and pre-made technologies are an inevitable trend in the modernization of the catering industry.”[6]

2. He Fu Noodle’s Response Strategies

Strategy	Implementation Status
Proactive transparency	Founder Li Xuelin once stated that “we will achieve transparency of our own central kitchen”[7]
Price adjustment	Launched a strategic adjustment in mid-2024, reducing the price of core products by 30%[5]
New product positioning	Launched “He Fu Master Noodles” with the core concept of “freshly simmered daily”[5]

3. Recommendations for Consumers

Pay attention to the match between price and value
: The central kitchen model is not equivalent to low quality; the key is to see whether the ingredient quality and price are reasonable
Understand your own needs
: If you pursue a freshly made experience, you can choose stores or sub-brands that emphasize “on-site production” (such as Alan’s Beef Noodles, which emphasizes “handmade on-site”)

Conclusion

He Fu Noodle’s central kitchen model is indeed not within the category of pre-made dishes at the legal level

, so it can avoid regulatory disputes related to pre-made dishes.

However, at the commercial level, this model cannot avoid consumer disputes over value perception

. The core issues are:

Perceptual gap
: Consumers pay a premium for “freshly made” and “health-preserving” features, but receive industrialized products
Trust crisis
: The visual impact of a back kitchen filled with plastic bags conflicts with the brand’s premium positioning
Lack of right to know
: Consumers find it difficult to learn the actual production method of the product in advance

In the long run

, catering enterprises need to find a balance between

standardization efficiency and consumer experience

. Proactive transparency and explicit disclosure of product production methods may become an industry trend. As experts have said: “If operators can proactively disclose the ‘pre-made dishes’ as they define them to consumers based on relevant document definitions and industry cognition, they should win consumer trust.”[6]

References

[1] The Paper - 《“Only the noodles are freshly cooked”? He Fu Noodle responds to “pre-made dishes” controversy》
https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_32345429

[2] Jiemian News - 《Tencent, Juewei Food-invested He Fu Noodle: How to Respond to the “Pre-Made Dishes” Storm?》
https://m.jiemian.com/article/13861102.html

[3] CCTV.com - 《What Exactly Are Pre-Made Dishes? 6 Departments Once Issued a Clear Definition》
https://news.cctv.com/2025/09/14/ARTI8vDjikqnSQjTXXy16myT250914.shtml

[4] Sina Finance - 《He Fu Noodle responds to pre-made dishes allegation: Products are uniformly produced by central kitchen, not within the scope of pre-made dishes》
https://finance.sina.cn/2026-01-07/detail-inhfnemx2245943.d.html

[5] 21st Century Business Herald - 《After proactively cutting prices by 30%, the 7-billion-yuan He Fu Noodle is again mired in pre-made dishes controversy》
https://www.21jingji.com/article/20260109/herald/3b75b4f99bdc6d1e1ba25b134d3f7a91.html

[6] Legal Daily - 《Multiple Departments Accelerate the Formulation of National Standards for Pre-Made Dishes》
http://epaper.legaldaily.com.cn/fzrb/content/20250926/Articel06002GN.htm

[7] Xinhua News - 《He Fu Noodle’s “only noodles are freshly cooked” tops hot searches; founder once stated “we make food with the same attitude as making milk powder”》
http://www.news.cn/food/20260109/6b09fb467b97495495482460ad2ec2a7/c.html

In-Depth Analysis of He Fu Noodle's Central Kitchen Model and Pre-Made Dishes Controversy

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