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February 11

216…

Not 217… not 213…

216…

That’s how many noodles are in every regular sized can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup.

I watched “The History of Canned Foods” on the History Channel and learned this little nugget of information. Unfortunately, the way my brain works, this nugget is now forever lodged in a brain cell and I will never forget it…

So now, every time I am feeling a little under the weather, and go to open a can I will think about the meeting where it was decided that 216 was the perfect number…

I can see spreadsheets showing the cost effectiveness of 216 noodles over 225…

I can hear the arguments of taste versus expense…

For some reason, I imagine one executive getting into a heated debate with another one over the time it takes to cut 216 noodles while all the rest of the execs embarrassingly watch until the CEO finally tells the two of them to settle down… In my mind, the two execs never liked each other again after that… Board meetings seemed to always find the two on opposite sides of any issue and Christmas Parties were always very tense…

I also think about the days prior to automation where some poor schmuck had to stand there and count out 216 noodles every time a can of soup went through the line… He probably had a fancy title and all, Noodle Quantity Assurance Inspector or something like that, but at the end of the day he went home knowing that in reality he was just a noodle counter… I bet there were days when he had a fight with his wife at breakfast and got to work with a bad attitude and put very little effort into his noodle math... one can would get 200 noodles and another may have 230… then his supervisor would notice and he’d get written up again for his noodle number apathy…

One of these days I may just open a can and actually count the noodles. I can’t decide which way I would prefer it. More than 216 noodles would sort of make me feel like I pulled a fast one on Campbell’s and could enjoy the noodley goodness even more, but less noodles would mean I would get more soup which is, of course, the whole idea…

Then again, perhaps… just maybe… I am using my noodle too much to think about their noodles…

11:47 AM | Blog it | Humor

Comments (18)

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	No namewrote: I just had a long argument in the bar with a friend, who said I was using false logic when i commented that 216 is number divisible by 3, actually also by 4 and 12, my point being that unlike his claim that it is impossible to make a vat of soup and get the same amount of noodles in each can. I had to laugh at his illogical assumption that Campells actually makes soup like you and I and Grandma. The importance of 216 as opposed to 217 is that if you have a noodle extruder with a twenty four hole extruder, you then chop off 9 bunches of noodles and these are all shot into the can along with the chicken spice and broth, sealed and cooked in the can, guess what there ain't no old lady in Camden, NJ ladling Campbells Ckicken Noodle Soup from a pot into the can, hell no, old Mr Campbell follows in Ford's footsteps and only automation and the assembly line can ensure the same amount of ingredients in each can. That's just logical Jan. 18
	Michellewrote: *%#@! Now I will forever be fighting the impulse to count those noodles! Mar. 30
	Edith Stargelwrote: Are you SURE there are 216? I mean, really... that seems like a lot of noodles in one can, and thinking back to as many occasions of Campbells Chicken Noodle soup eating that I can... I've usually felt a bit gyped in the noodle department. I would think that 216 noodles would, in fact, be an amount quite sufficient so as to make the soup eater think, "hmmm... this has just the perfect amount of noodles in it" as they spooned up each bite, content to know that there was, in mouth-worthy-fact, just the perfect ratio of noodle to broth... to the last bite. Mar. 12
	Josh Cyrwrote: So...how much would that be per noodle? Mar. 11
	Ginawrote: Just came here to borrow some noodles for my soup - I have a cold! :o( Feb. 22
	Tani Livengoodwrote: Now I am really LMAO.I can just picture Alisons scenario.Now the movie playing in my head is of an old man yelling 216 noodles and patiently peicing together all the broken noodles.I think I may have lost my noodle,LOL Feb. 22
	Tani Livengoodwrote: I love how your mind works,Noodles,I am a bit surprised you didn't open a can right away and count them,LOL I wonder when you are old and senile if that fact will still be stuck in your head,I can see you sitting at a dining room surrounded by oldtimers shouting 216 noodles .LOL Feb. 22
	Denisewrote: Where are you? Did you loose your noodle?? take care.. Virtual hugs~ Feb. 21
	Janewrote: Hi Zman! I think I'm going to go fix some soup now. LOL! Toodles! Feb. 20
	Gelati Farmswrote: Russ... Listen. I don't know about you, but when I open a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup and pour it out of the can into the pot and then stir it around abit, there is often some noodle breakage. After all, those noodles have been sitting in the msg and chicken fat broth, nestled alongside the mechanically separated chicken pieces for a good, solid decade. They are the farthest thing from al dente...more along the lines of al smooshe and even gentle agitation by a silver cooking utensil (let's be fair to silver utensils, even a wooden or plastic utensil will wreak as much damage to the poor noodles...) is fatal to the long noodles. So, I think that if you really wanted to do an accurate count, you may first have to piece the noodles together a la noodle jigsaw. Seems to me that you might be better off just eating the *&^% soup. Or better yet, find the neighbourhood Calabrese widow and charm her into making you a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup. Alison Feb. 15
	-c bwrote: Nadine was thinkin' the same thing as me - - are all the noodles the same length? what happens if some get broken? do they really go by number of noodles or is it inches / centimeters of noodles? That's what I want to know! -cindy Feb. 14
	Denisewrote: Whoa Mayor.. noodles and nuggets.. sounds like a fancy name for a dog food or something... anyways.. your mind works in mysterious ways.. that is what we all like about you. Take care.. have a noodle free day...unless of course you are into that kind of thing! Virtual hugs.. Feb. 13
	Kimwrote: You counted and you know it~ Feb. 12
	Sherrywrote: Don't you hate it when little nuggets like this fill your head and the important stuff leaks out???? LOL! I'll file that one away for a later game of trivial pursuit or some other game that requires useless info!! Feb. 12
	Ginawrote: If I was a noodle counter, I would, just for the fun of it, slip in an extra noodle every once in awhile. Who says noodle counters can't have any fun! Feb. 12
	dreadnaughtwrote: Zwebbyville's V has been inserted, though not with a piercing needle. Someone has to think of these things. If I tried to, methinks my head would explode. Feb. 11
	Jòi§eÿwrote: But, my friend, you have to admit that there is NOTHING like a good ole can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup when you're sick and under the weather. Nothing like it. It doesn't matter if there is 216 noodles or just a mere 16. That soup does the trick, eh? Feb. 11
	Nadinewrote: I can't believe they count! Just like the 2 scoops thing....216 noodles! I wonder why that number? And are they talkin' about the longest noodles? Becuz you know that some are shorter....you look!! velvettush.blogspot.com...save this one! Feb. 11

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