Authorities in Henan province are considering drafting a standard for the local stewed noodles, local media reported on Thursday.

In response to a proposal by a member of the provincial people's political consultative conference, the Henan provincial department of commerce said it is considering drafting a standard on the preparation of Henan-style stewed noodles and will come up with a regulation "at the right time", Dahe Daily reported on Thursday.

Stewed noodles are a popular local cuisine, and the provincial catering industry association estimated that residents in the province eat more than 2 billion bowls of the dish each year.

However, many residents and experts doubt whether a standard on the noodles would be easily applied due to the large number of restaurants and the variety of ingredients.

A local government official, who asked to remain anonymous, said it would be impossible to enforce the standard in the estimated thousands of stewed noodles restaurants in the province.