INTERNATIONAL NEWS - Ramen noodles have overtaken tobacco to become the most valuable commodity in US prisons, a new study says.
The research said the shift was a response to a decline in the quantity and quality of food on offer.
"Because it is cheap, tasty, and rich in calories, ramen has become so valuable that it is used to exchange for other goods," said study author Michael Gibson-Light.
US prison data shows spending has not kept pace with the number of inmates.
Mr Gibson-Light said staff and inmates at the prison he visited said the amount of food being provided had decreased steadily over decades and warned the shift could have serious implications.
"Prisoners are so unhappy with the quality and quantity of prison food that they receive that they have begun relying on ramen noodles - a cheap, durable food product - as a form of money in the underground economy," he said.
