A piping hot grocery store staple is scalding pint-sized eaters. 

Instant noodles — the low-cost dish heated up on the stove or in the microwave — are a leading cause of burns among kids, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine and published in the journal “Burns.”

Researchers looked at 790 cases in which children suffered burn injuries between 2010 and 2020. They found 31% (245 patients) involved instant noodles. What’s more, kids left to play chef without supervision were at a higher risk for getting burned, with 40% of noodle burns happening when little ones were left unattended, according to the study.

“Anecdotally, it felt like every other child we were consulted on for a burn was injured by instant noodles, so we wanted to dive into the data to see what the trend really was,” senior author Sebastian Vrouwe, assistant professor of surgery at UChicago Medicine, said in a statement. 

Vrouwe explained that the amount of heat generated by heating up the noodles can cause second and third degree burns in anyone, especially kids.

“Young children are particularly vulnerable due to their relatively smaller bodies and thinner skin,” he said, urging caregivers to monitor little ones whenever preparing the noodles at home. 

The study also found that black children in low income areas were more likely to suffer from burns compared with their peers, though the study did not specify how much more.