AS 10-10 or double ten is celebrated by the Chinese, with food galore, among other cultural activities, MSG (MonoSodium Glutamate) comes into the picture as an ingredient in cooking which enhances the flavor and taste of food.AS 10-10 or double ten is celebrated by the Chinese, with food galore, among other cultural activities, MSG (MonoSodium Glutamate) comes into the picture as an ingredient in cooking which enhances the flavor and taste of food.
This annual event commemorates the start of the Wuchang Uprising of October 10, 1911, which resulted in the collapse of the Qing Dynasty and birth of the Republic of China (ROC) on January 1, 1912.
The taste-enhancing substance in MSG was discovered in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda, a chemistry professor at Imperial University of Tokyo and founder of Ajinomoto, which he isolated from seaweed.
The use of MSG in food has been controversial the past several decades. This has been used for decades, and there are some isolated reports of adverse reactions, like allergies, among some people who have eaten foods cooked with MSG. Our column today aims to shed light on this matter.
What is MSG?
MSG, popularly known as Vetsin, stands for Monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer used in cooking. It is the sodium salt of amino acid, glutamic acid, a form of glutamate. It is marketed as a fine white crystal powder, like sugar or salt, and does not have a distinct taste of its own. How it enhances the flavor of food is not clear. One theory proposed by some scientists is that “MSG stimulates glutamic receptors in the tongue to augment meat-like flavors.”
What is glutamate?
An amino acid, glutamate has been shown as a nerve impulse transmitter in the brain and other glutamate-responsive tissues in other parts of the body. Glutamate is efficiently metabolized by the body.
How is MSG made?
Thousands of years ago, seaweed broth was used in Asian countries to enrich the flavor of food. Presently, MSG is manufactured thru fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses. Glutamate is naturally found in our bodies and in protein-loaded foods such as meat, milk, cheese, mushrooms and peas. The flavor richness from tomatoes and fermented or hydrolyzed protein products like soy sauce is due to the free glutamate in them.
Do all restaurants use MSG?
No. MSG is more popular in Asia, and among Asian (especially Chinese and Japanese) restaurants, even the United States and Europe. However, not all Asian eateries use MSG. Even in the Philippines, for instance, many restaurants now do not use this food enhancer in view of the controversy, or per customer request. Today, MSG is often used by many fast food chains and in many foodstuffs, processed foods in the United States and around the world, like stock cubes our bouillon cubes, barbeque sauces, salad dressings, seasoning preparations, canned, dried, and frozen foods, potato and tortilla chips, etc.
What is the FASEB Report?
In 1995, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), an independent body of scientists, “helps put these safety concerns into perspective and reaffirms the Food and Drug Administration’s belief that MSG and related substances are safe food ingredients for most people when eaten at customary levels.” Some people are allergic to MSG.Is MSG found in other enhancers? Yes, there are several beef, chicken, shrimp stock and broth cubes and boullions available in the markets and grocery stores today, all marketed as food flavor-enhancers. MSG crystals are sold worldwide.
What adverse reactions may MSG induce? Some people are more sensitive to MSG than others. According to the FASEB Report, it “identifies two groups of people who may develop a condition the report refers to as ‘MSG symptom complex.’ One group is those who may be intolerant to MSG when eaten in a large quantity. The second is a group of people with severe, poorly controlled asthma. These people, in addition to being prone to MSG symptom complex, may suffer temporary worsening of asthmatic symptoms after consuming MSG. The MSG dosage that produced reactions in these people ranged from 0.5 grams to 2.5 grams.” MSG is a vasodilator (a good effect), which opens up arteries (including coronary and brain arteries) and lowers blood pressure a little after ingestion.
What are the symptoms of MSG reaction?
The symptoms an MSG-sensitive person may have are any of the following “burning sensation in the back of the neck, forearms and chest, numbness in the back of the neck, radiating to the arms and back, tingling, warmth and weakness in the face, temples, upper back, neck and arms, facial pressure or tightness, chest pain, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) in MSG-intolerant people with asthma, drowsiness, and weakness.
Any other possible effects?
This comprehensive report from FASEB also states that “severe, poorly controlled asthma may be a predisposing medical condition for MSG symptom complex. No evidence exists to suggest that dietary MSG or glutamate contributes to Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s chorea, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, AIDS dementia complex, or any other long-term or chronic diseases. No evidence exists to suggest that dietary MSG causes brain lesions or damages nerve cells in humans.” In spite of this, fake news that MSG has neuro-toxic effect still circulates, especially in this age of social media.
Is MSG safe to consume?
Extensive reviews on the safety of MSG have led the US Food and Drug Administration, the FASEB Select Committee, the European Communities’ (EC) Scientific Committee for Foods, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, and other researchers, to consider MSG to be safe. In spite of this, however, majority of diners prefer no MSG in their food, and so inform the waiter or chef at any eateries they go to. Those who are not allergic to MSG and enjoy its taste-enhancing effect on food, continue to savor its flavor. Those who are not sure should avoid MSG or consult their physician.
Have deaths been reported as a complication? Most people appear to tolerate MSG very well, but some are sensitive to it. Mild reactions with sensation of warmth and flushing in the face are the most common, which require no treatment, and which go away after a hour or two after the meal.
However, I have heard of one death (a chest surgeon, who had a history of bronchial asthma) from anaphylactic shock following consumption of food with MSG, while attending a meeting in Nice, Paris, many years ago. Fortunately, this is rare. The trend today, even among restaurants, appears to be in favor of staying away from MSG in view of public concern. After all, a good chef in a restaurant or a good experienced cook at home actually does not need any help from MSG to create an artful and tasteful culinary magic in any dish. Visit philipSchua.com Email: [email protected]
