by Munch on a packet of chips, slurp up a bowl of noodles or tuck into a salami sandwich, and there’s a good chance you’re also consuming monosodium glutamate.
Over the years, monosodium glutamate – better known as MSG – has found its way into many foods as a flavor enhancer.
But also during this time, the ubiquitous condiment has had a less than savory history.
The purported side effects of MSG have traditionally been associated with eating Chinese cuisine, and it has been called “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”.
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The term was first used in 1968 by a US physician, who wrote a letter to the highly respected New England Journal of Medicine in which he questioned some of the symptoms he experienced after eating at some Chinese restaurants.
This led to a wave of similar papers across many medical journals and subsequent media coverage, leading to negative public perceptions of MSG and food from Chinese and Asian restaurants, along with stereotypes race-based prejudices about art.
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But in recent years, studies have not shown a link between such widespread reactions to MSG consumption, and there are growing calls to drop the term.
In 2020, the Merriam-Webster dictionary updated its definition of Chinese Restaurant Syndrome with the label “dated, sometimes offensive” when the company was asked by Ajinomoto, a longtime Japanese producer of MSG flavorings.
In late August, a group of American chefs, food writers, dietitians and public health scientists wrote an open letter, supported by the Ajinomoto group, to the New England Journal of Medicine to end the “racist phrase once and for all “.
However, MSG is still controversial for health.
We asked experts to answer five common questions about its science and safety.
What is MSG and how is it made?
We see five basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami (also known as savory).
Umami was first described by the Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908. He combined the savory, meaty flavor found in kombu dashi – a traditional Japanese broth made from dried fish called bonito and dried seaweed – with a chemical that called glutamate.
Kombu is a type of giant kelp. It is naturally high in glutamic acid and, when cooked, becomes glutamate. (Getty Images: K3)
Soon after, Dr. Ikeda developed a flavoring by attaching glutamate to sodium to produce the water-soluble crystalline salt we know as MSG. He then partnered with a company to commercialize the condiment.
These days, MSG is made by fermenting starch, corn sugar or molasses from sugar cane or sugar beets.
Where is MSG found?
Since it enhances meat flavors, MSG is widely used as a flavor enhancer.
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Foods such as processed meat, condiments, seasoning mixes, and snacks such as flavored chips and instant noodles are added. MSG is also present in manufactured ingredients such as yeast extract and hydrolyzed vegetable protein.
Besides its full name, added MSG can be identified on the ingredients list on a food label as “flavor enhancer (MSG)” or by its food additive code 621 or E621.
Our body also produces small amounts of glutamate naturally, and it is found in various unprocessed foods such as tomatoes and mushrooms.
When it is naturally present in food or ingredients, it does not need to be included on food labels.
How does MSG interact with our body?
When we take a mouthful of MSG-laden food, the glutamate portion of the MSG molecule binds to umami taste receptors on our tongue and around our mouth, giving us the meaty kick that MSG is known for.
It also stimulates saliva production, which also helps other taste molecules in food reach their receptors better, making everything tastier, explains Emma Beckett, nutrition and food scientist at Newcastle University.
Immediately after consuming MSG, a small subset of people can experience headaches, sweating, difficulty breathing and facial tightness.
However, although a small percentage of people may have a true sensitivity to MSG, however, many studies have ruled out the flavoring as the cause of these effects in most cases, says Dr. Beckett.
“With the amounts in food, it is much more likely that if people are reacting, it is something else in the food or other food or drinks consumed at the same time, or the environment.”
Is it safe to eat MSG?
Yes. MSG is considered safe to eat and is not a health concern for the general public, according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
Emma Beckett says MSG is in many common foods, but the commentary still tends to focus on Chinese foods. (Available: Emma Beckett)
“Too much of anything is bad, but there are no studies that show long-term ill effects of regular consumption of MSG,” says Dr. Beckett.
Studies showing harm in extremely high doses of MSG are higher than what people actually eat, she says.
When it comes to making delicious food, it’s common to find chefs and food content creators on social media promoting a sprinkle of MSG to enhance home cooking, like the recently viral cucumber salad.
And that smattering of MSG may even be beneficial to human health.
“MSG or MSG-containing condiments are a great way to make healthy foods like vegetables and grains palatable so you eat more,” says Dr. Beckett.
“If it’s a food that’s high in sugar, high in calories, or high in fat but also has MSG in it, it’s probably not the MSG that we need to focus on.”
Does MSG increase sodium intake?
He can. And eating too much sodium, in the form of regular table salt (sodium chloride) or MSG, can lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, explains public health nutritionist Kathy Trieu.
As co-director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Population Salt Reduction, based at the George Institute for Global Health, Dr Trieu is working towards the WHO’s global goal of reducing sodium intake by 30 percent by 2025.
Kathy Trieu says that while MSG can be used in place of table salt to reduce sodium intake, potassium-enriched salt is a better substitute. (Available: Kathy Trieu)
Last year, a WHO report showed that the world was not on track to meet the target.
The average global sodium intake for adults is estimated to be 4,310 milligrams per day (equivalent to 10.8 grams per day of table salt equivalent), which is more than double the WHO recommendation of less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day (or less than 5g). per day of salt).
However, Dr. Trieu points out that MSG contains one-third less sodium than regular table salt.
“Regular salt has more sodium so it’s worse for health,” she says.
While it’s okay to use a small amount of MSG instead of table salt in home cooking, Dr. Trieu says there’s an even better option: potassium-fortified salt.
“Like MSG, potassium-enriched salt has less sodium but also more potassium.
“Potassium is a mineral commonly found in fruit and vegetables, and it lowers blood pressure and cardiovascular risk.
“There is very strong research showing that switching to potassium-enriched salt is beneficial for health.”
