| Pretty controversial for a food additive. The | | | | seaweed, for instance, you've had everything |
| reactions to it are all over the dial. | | | | in MSG. Two, small groups of people are |
| Patrons object to MSG in restaurant food, | | | | allergic to all kinds of common foods, such |
| then go home and make a soup with chicken | | | | as berries, gluten, or milk, and apparently |
| bullion just loaded with MSG and think | | | | MSG is one of those things people are |
| nothing of it. | | | | sometimes naturally intolerant of; there is |
| | | | nothing particularly toxic about MSG that |
| Oriental food has traditionally been | | | | makes it more dangerous than, say, table |
| associated with MSG, which is unfair because | | | | salt. |
| use of monosodium glutamate is pretty evenly | | | | |
| distributed across cuisines of all ethnic | | | | The symptoms of MSG complex may be any of: |
| origins. The restaurant trade seems to always | | | | |
| be collectively pondering whether to use it | | | | * numbness or a burning sensation in the back |
| or not. | | | | of the neck, forearms and chest, |
| | | | |
| In spite of its ubiquity in common food | | | | * tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, |
| products, the flavor contributions made by | | | | temples, upper back, neck and arms |
| MSG were only scientifically identified early | | | | |
| in the twentieth century. In the year 1907, a | | | | * facial pressure or tightness |
| Japanese researcher at the Tokyo Imperial | | | | |
| University, name of Kikunae Ikeda, identified | | | | * chest pain |
| some brown crystals that were left behind | | | | |
| after the evaporation of a large bowl of | | | | * headache |
| broth. He recognized the substance as | | | | |
| glutamic acid. These crystals, when tasted, | | | | * nausea |
| reproduced the flavor he detected in many | | | | |
| foods, most particularly in seaweed. | | | | * rapid heartbeat |
| Professor Ikeda named this flavor "umami." He | | | | |
| then patented the method of mass-producing a | | | | * difficult breathing |
| crystalline form of glutamic acid, now known | | | | |
| as MSG. | | | | * drowsiness |
| | | | |
| The Ajinomoto company was formed to | | | | * weakness |
| manufacture and market MSG in Japan, and a | | | | |
| rough translation of the name "Ajinomoto" | | | | These may be more or less acute in the |
| means "essence of taste". It was introduced | | | | presence of other conditions such as asthma, |
| to the United States in 1947 as Accent flavor | | | | arthritis, or epilepsy. Also, the severity of |
| enhancer. Modern commercial MSG is produced | | | | symptoms may be masked or enhanced by |
| by the fermentation of starch, using sugar | | | | reactions to salt or alcohol. The dosage |
| beets, sugar cane, or molasses. Almost 1.5 | | | | required to bring these symptoms out is |
| million metric tons of MSG is sold in the | | | | usually around 3 grams - by contrast, the |
| United States per year. | | | | average meal contains 0.5 grams, so MSG is |
| | | | usually brought about by consuming large |
| Contrary to the stereotype of oriental food, | | | | quantities of it quickly in the form of a |
| the average American is more likely to | | | | soup or gravy. No fatalities have ever been |
| encounter MSG in such staples as most canned | | | | reported in connection with MSG. |
| soups (especially the low-sodium varieties), | | | | |
| most beef and chicken stocks and bullion, | | | | The symptom complex happens within one hour |
| most flavored potato chip products, many | | | | after the meal and wears off ofter twenty |
| other snack foods such as crackers or | | | | minutes. It has been suggested that the |
| cookies, many frozen dinners (especially | | | | association with Chinese food comes as much |
| those which include gravy), and instant meals | | | | from the salt and grease in certain dishes as |
| such as the seasoning mixtures for instant | | | | from the MSG, and also ingredients like |
| 'ramen' noodles. | | | | bamboo sprouts contain a high concentration |
| | | | of cyanic acid, which may also be giving |
| In 1959, the Food and Drug Administration | | | | people a reaction. |
| classified MSG as a "generally recognized as | | | | |
| safe" substance. This action stemmed from the | | | | Generally the most common symptom reported is |
| 1958 Food Additives Amendment to the Federal | | | | a slight headache. There may or may not |
| Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which required | | | | actually be a complex of symptoms which are |
| approval for new food additives prior to | | | | directly the fault of monosodium glutamate, |
| their marketing and led the FDA to promulgate | | | | but it is quite clear in any case that the |
| regulations listing substances which have a | | | | initial media attention to MSG was a typical |
| history of safe use, such as MSG. Since 1970, | | | | media panic which blew the reaction out of |
| the FDA has sponsored extensive reviews on | | | | proportion. A similar "scare" occurred in the |
| the safety of MSG, other glutamates and | | | | 1980's, when the media reported alar on |
| hydrolyzed proteins, as part of an ongoing | | | | apples. This is not to say that it's "all in |
| review of safety data on approved substances | | | | people's heads"; there is some evidence which |
| used in processed foods. | | | | suggests that the syndrome is real, but no |
| | | | clear-cut proof. |
| One of these reviews was by FASEB, the | | | | |
| Federation of American Societies for | | | | But you have to wonder at a substance which |
| Experimental Biology on approved substances. | | | | has been in every bag of chips sold and |
| In 1980, the committee concluded that MSG was | | | | consumed in the United States for 20 years |
| safe at current levels of use but recommended | | | | with no ill effects reported suddenly |
| additional evaluation to determine the | | | | producing a severe reaction from a prepared |
| effects of MSG at significantly higher levels | | | | dish at a restaurant. Just something to |
| of consumption. In 1986, the FDA's Advisory | | | | consider - even the human body contains some |
| Committee on Hypersensitivity to Food | | | | amount of MSG naturally! |
| Constituents concluded that MSG poses no | | | | |
| threat to the general public but that | | | | The bottom line: If you run a restaurant or |
| reactions of brief duration might occur in | | | | other food service and you add MSG to your |
| some people. | | | | products, clearly say so the same way you |
| | | | would warn people who were lactose-intolerant |
| These brief reactions are the MSG syndrome | | | | about dairy additives. While MSG does indeed |
| you've heard about. When reading about MSG | | | | have its own taste receptors on the human |
| symptom complex, it is essential to keep a | | | | tongue, it's not like leaving it out if |
| couple of things in mind. One, that MSG is a | | | | requested will kill the whole meal. |
| naturally occurring substance; if you've had | | | | |