Do you know what E621 is? What about mono-potassium glutamate, glutamate, sodium hydrogen glutamate, yeast extract, sodium caseinate , calcium caseinate, and finally Vetsin? Believe it or not, all of these names are actually used for one thing; Monosodium Glutamate or MSG.
Do you know what E621 is? What about mono-potassium glutamate, glutamate, sodium hydrogen glutamate, yeast extract, sodium caseinate , calcium caseinate, and finally Vetsin? Believe it or not, all of these names are actually used for one thing; Monosodium Glutamate or MSG.
Why you might wonder, does this very popular food seasoning also known as a "flavor enhancer" need so many names? Well MSG while known for its flavoring qualities, is also known for some health issues. Because of this reputation, manufacturers have developed an extensive list of aliases; some might say to throw the discerning consumer off the scent.
Anecdotally, many people report developing sometimes crippling migraine headaches after eating food that has been seasoned using MSG. Chinese food, in particular, is known to use MSG for flavor particularly in dishes that are heavily sauced. I along with many others have learned to ask a restaurant to cook my food without MSG.
Recently I purchased "cook-up" seasoning under the brand name “Chief” in Maryland, USA. I always check to see if seasonings contain MSG because my experience has been it does produce migraine headaches for me. The list of ingredients made no mention of MSG and so I used the seasoning as directed. A resulting headache made me take a second look at the list of ingredients and research those I did not recognize. Among those ingredients listed was E621 (flavor enhancer), aka MSG. E numbers are codes for substances that are permitted to be used as food additives for use within the European Union and Switzerland (the "E" means Europe).
For many people the use of MSG is a non-issue, but, if you experience issues when you eat food flavored by MSG, you may want to take a second look at that label and confirm that MSG in any of its various aliases is not included.
NOTE: The information below (in italics) was found on the website of the US Food and Drug Administration. You can find out more at http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/FoodAdditivesIngredients/ucm328728.htm
What is MSG?
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the sodium salt of the common amino acid glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is naturally present in our bodies, and in many foods such as tomatoes and cheese.
Is MSG safe to eat?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers the addition of MSG to foods to be “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). Although many people identify themselves as sensitive to MSG, in studies with such individuals given MSG or a placebo, scientists have not been able to consistently trigger reactions.
How can I know if there is MSG in my food?
FDA requires that foods containing added MSG list it in the ingredient panel on the packaging as monosodium glutamate. However, MSG occurs naturally in ingredients such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate. While FDA requires that these products be listed on the ingredient panel, the agency does not require the label to also specify that they naturally contain MSG. However, foods with any ingredient that naturally contains MSG cannot claim “No MSG” or “No added MSG” on their packaging. MSG also cannot be listed as “spices and flavoring.
Has FDA received any adverse event reports associated with MSG
Over the years, the FDA has received reports of symptoms such as headache and nausea after eating foods containing MSG. However, they have not been able to confirm that the MSG caused the reported effects.
These adverse event reports helped trigger FDA to ask the independent scientific group Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) to examine the safety of MSG in the 1990s. FASEB’s report concluded that MSG is safe. The FASEB report identified some short-term, transient, and generally mild symptoms, such as headache, numbness, flushing, tingling, palpitations, and drowsiness that may occur in some sensitive individuals who consume 3 grams or more of MSG without food. However, a typical serving of a food with added MSG contains less than 0.5 grams of MSG. Consuming more than 3 grams of MSG without food at one time is unlikely.
