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Monosodium glutamate / MSG  Facts not Fiction

"Although the research is mostly inconclusive, MSG has always caused me headaches and always has since I can remember".Monosodium glutamate is one of several forms of glutamic acid found in foods, in large part because glutamic acid, being an amino acid, is pervasive in nature. Glutamic acid and its salts can also be present in a wide variety of other additives, including hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate, which must be labeled with these common and usual names.

Since 1998, these cannot be included in the term "spices and flavorings". The food additives disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, which are nucleic acids, are usually used in synergy with monosodium glutamate-containing ingredients.

The FDA considers labels such as "No MSG" or "No Added MSG" to be misleading if the food contains ingredients that are sources of free glutamate, such as hydrolyzed protein. In 1993, the FDA proposed adding the phrase "(contains glutamate)" to the common or usual names of certain protein hydrolysates that contain substantial amounts of glutamate.

Asia

The INTERMAP Cooperative Research Group conducted a study of 752 healthy Chinese (48.7% women), age 40�59 years, randomly sampled from three rural villages in north and south China and determined that MSG intake may be positively correlated to an increased Body Mass Index (BMI).

Australia and New Zealand

Standard 1.2.4 of the Australia Food Standards Code requires the presence of MSG as a food additive to be labeled. The label must bear the food additive class name (e.g., flavour enhancer), followed by either the name of the food additive, MSG.