WHAT'S THAT STUFF?
drome," began surfacing in the late 1960s. Conditions ranging from chest pains to migraine headaches were blamed on MSG. For a while, signs proclaiming "No MSG added" in Asian restaurants were inescapable as MSG suffered the bad rap. No credible studies substantiate any harmful health effects caused by MSG, actaste "umami," after the Japanese word HE FIRST COOKING TRICK I EVER cording to Lisa Katie, director of public "umai," which means delicious. The best picked up, when I was about affairs for the Glutamate Association, an equivalent English word is "savory," as exeight years old, was to mix in a organization of manufacturers, national emplified by protein-rich foods such as pinch of "vetsin" to any entree marketers, and processed food users of meats and cheeses. He reported the disjust before it is to be served. This MSG. "We go by what organizations like covery and his hypothesis about a fifth magic ingredient of pure white crystals taste in 1909 in theJournal of the Chemical the {Food & Drug Administration} commade an enormous difference in flavor that Society of Tokyo. A translation of that paper municate to the public, which is that MSG even as a child I could discern. Years later, I learned what this "vetsin" stuff was: was published just last year [Chem. Senses, is safe and that there are no ill health effects from consuming food containing MSG." 27,847(2002)}. monosodium L-glutamate (MSG). The toxicology ofMSG has been studied Acceptance of umami as a basic taste MSG may be the most widely used flaextensively and its safety has been affirmed came only decades after Ikeda laid out his vor enhancer after salt and pepper. Annuby organizations other than FDA. L-Gluhypothesis, after other umami substances al worldwide demand is about 1.1 million tamic acid is one ofthe 20 amino acids tons, according to Leo Hepner, presthat make up natural proteins. The ident of the U.K. consulting firm L. "World Health Organization and the Hepner & Associates, which specialFood & Agricultural Organization izes in fermentations and biotechboth have established the acceptable nology. About 70% of the demand daily intake for L-glutamic acid and comes from Pacific Basin countries. its salts as "not specified." The rest comes from South America (about 15%) and Europe and North This means that, on the basis of America (about 15%). available data and the amount needed to achieve the desired effect, a nuMost of the supply comes from merical limit for daily intake is not companies based inJapan (Ajinomonecessary According to the Glutato and Kyowa Hakko) and South Komate Association, such a classificarea (Cheil Jedang), Hepner says. But tion is the safest category for a food in the past three years, Chinese comadditive. panies have joined the ranks. Their entry, he says, makes it likely that the In the U.S., any food product to price of MSG—currently $1.30 per YUM-YUM Sold in the U.S. as Accent, monosodium which MSG is added must include it kg—will decrease considerably in the L-glutamate is added to a variety of products. in the ingredient list. But the absence next few years. of MSG in the ingredient list does not mean that the product has no free LMSG is produced by fermentation. Cerwere identified—inosine 5' -monophosglutamate, because many foods contain it tain bacteria convert molasses or starch hyphate (IMP) andguanosine 5' -monophosnaturally, including milk, eggs, potatoes, drolyzate to L-glutamic acid, which is neuphate (GMP)—and taste responses were tomatoes, mushrooms, walnuts, and tralized with sodium hydroxide to form investigated in humans and animals. Idencheese. Also, free L-glutamate can be inMSG. Before fermentation was adopted, tification of L-glutamate taste receptors in troduced into products through hythe main source of L-glutamic acid was ex2 0 0 0 by researchers Nirupa Chaudhari drolyzed proteins. If hydrolyzed proteins traction from wheat gluten, which contains and Stephen Roper at the University of are in the ingredients list, the product canas much as 25% ofthe amino acid byweight. Miami School of Medicine dispelled any not make a "no MSG added" claim, acThe flavor-enhancing property of MSG lingering doubts. cording to FDA. was discovered in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda, On its own, MSG doesn't have much a chemistry professor at Imperial Universitaste, but its effect is noticeable when The bad rap about MSG seems to have ty of Tokyo and founder of Ajinomoto. added to soups, stews, and snacks, among faded. "That's because good and credible He isolated the substance in a seaweed that other foods. Synergisms between MSG information has gotten out to the public," for centuriesJapanese cooks had been using and I M P or G M P are known. Adding a Katie says. "The science has reiterated to make food taste better and found that it pinch of MSG to food containing these MSG's safety, the safety has been commuwas L-glutamate. MSG first came to marnucleotides enhances the umami taste up nicated efficiently, and the public is confiket in 1909 under the trade name Aji-Noto eight times the original. Food products dent that this food ingredient is safe." Moto. In the U.S., a popular brand is Accent. claiming "No MSG" may contain disodium Back in my kitchen, I haven't used freeIkeda suggested that free L-glutamate salts of IMP and G M P as alternative flaflowing, pure, white crystal MSG for years. elicits a taste that is distinct from the four vor enhancers. But I do use bouillon cubes regularly When known primary tastes: sour, sweet, salty, I checked the ingredients, indeed, they inReports of adverse reactions to MSG, and bitter. He proposed calling this fifth clude MSG—MAUREEN R0UHI collectively called "Chinese restaurant syn-
MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE
Seasoning originally isolated from seaweeds boosts the flavor of many food products
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