MSG: What it is, and How can you Identify it in Your Food?

Have you ever been to a Chinese buffet or at the grocery store, and seen a sign announcing “No MSG”? Have you wondered what it is all about? MSG, or Mono-sodium Glutamate, was once a popular additive to many food and drink products, but the use of it has fallen out of favor for the last few years.  The problem is, many companies know this and have hidden MSG by other names.

What is Mono-sodium Glutamate?

This additive is commonly marketed as a food-enhancer.  When added to food, it makes whatever is eaten seem to taste better to the consumer.

Glutamic acids naturally-occur in many fermented and aged foods like cheese or soy sauce, as well as yeast extracts.  Mono-sodium Glutamate is the sodium salt extract of glutamic acid.

Many food processors and restaurants once used MSG as a flavor enhancer for their products because of the cheap cost and the way that it makes food taste better.

It also has the side-effect of making you seem fuller as you eat, so you consume less to feel full.  This is one of the reasons it was used so extensively in buffet restaurants.

MSG also has raised many health concerns, and an entire syndrome was named for it, called “mono-sodium glutamate symptom complex,” which has symptoms such as a burning throat, chest pain, rapid breathing and heartbeat, drowsiness and weakness.

As a result of these concerns, many food producers have stopped using MSG as an additive and most restaurants specify that they do not use it.

Where Else can it be Found?

The problem is that glutamic acid is still found in many foods, but is normally called by different names.  The reactions caused by sensitivity to Mono-sodium Glutamate can still happen with this ingredient.

So, even if you avoid MSG, and have a sensitivity to it, you might still be consuming it in other products.

Some of the common ingredients to look out for include magnesium glutamate, yeast extract, any “hydrolyzed” product, gelatin, textured protein and autolyzed yeast.

Normally, glutamic acid on its own will not cause adverse effects; it is only after it has been processed that the problems occur.  If you see glutamic acid listed on an ingredient label, there may be nothing to be concerned with.

Other listings on the ingredient label that may contain MSG are whey protein, maltodextrin, pectin, anything that says “enzyme modified” or “ultra pasteurized,” soy protein, “flavorings” or “seasonings.”

If you see Disodium guanylate or disodium inosinate on a label, you can guarantee there is MSG in the product as well.  These two additives work in synergy with Mono-sodium Glutamate and will not be in a product without it.

With so many health concerns today, especially with MSG-related problems and sensitivities, the labeling of this additive should be much better.  Many governmental agencies world-wide, including the FDA in America and the Australian and New Zealand Food Standards Code consider “No MSG” to be a misleading label.  Since MSG is so pervasive and the risks are high, it is important for you to know what to look for when you eat out or shop.

The following video by Dr. Vincent Bellonzi offers his opinion of the use of MSG in food.