What does MSG stand for?

[marito]

Hi there evry one. I recently whas reading some chinese recipes and noticed that they use MSG many times, I realy dont know what that means (no description available). Is any one familiar whit MSG for chinese cooking? here's the link
http://www.china.org.cn/english/MATERIAL/71932.htm
Thank you!

[KateW]

Go to www.google.com and type in monosodium glutamate. I actually don't know much about it yet so I'll spare you my ramblings and just send you there.

[IronChefATL]

What is bad about it you'll have to read a research yourself, as I am not exactly positive I would know what I am talking about. The idea behind the use of MSG is that glutamates make up a taste that asian (Japanese) call umami. Its like sweet, sour, salty, "hot"/spicy, and thenn you have umami. It makes a dish taste more complete is the best way decribe it. It rounds it out. Umami characteristics are found in several common foods... mushrooms (shiitake), fermented products (fish sauce, soy sauce), seaweed, and even in a mothers breast milk. The "umami flavor" can be achieved by using any number of items, without actually using MSG. I have heard of people using MSG at chilli contests hopeing for an extra edge. Some people are said to have reactions (negative) to MSG which I feel might make doing so risky, as usually a chilli cook doesnt want to reveal secrets. Good luck in more research about it.

[mudbug]

It is to be described as, in it's most simple description, a "flavor enhancer".

What Is MSG?

MSG is the sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid and a form of glutamate. It is sold as a fine white crystal substance, similar in appearance to salt or sugar. It does not have a distinct taste of its own, and how it adds flavor to other foods is not fully understood. Many scientists believe that MSG stimulates glutamate receptors in the tongue to augment meat-like flavors.

Asians originally used a seaweed broth to obtain the flavor- enhancing effects of MSG, but today MSG is made by a fermenting process using starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses.

Glutamate itself is in many living things: It is found naturally in our bodies and in protein-containing foods, such as cheese, milk, meat, peas, and mushrooms.

Some glutamate is in foods in a "free" form. It is only in this free form that glutamate can enhance a food's flavor. Part of the flavor-enhancing effect of tomatoes, certain cheeses, and fermented or hydrolyzed protein products (such as soy sauce) is due to the presence of free glutamate.

Hydrolyzed proteins, or protein hydrolysates, are acid- treated or enzymatically treated proteins from certain foods. They contain salts of free amino acids, such as glutamate, at levels of 5 to 20 percent. Hydrolyzed proteins are used in the same manner as MSG in many foods, such as canned vegetables, soups, and processed meats.

Scientific Review

In 1959, FDA classified MSG as a "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, substance, along with many other common food ingredients, such as salt, vinegar, and baking powder. This action stemmed from the 1958 Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which required premarket approval for new food additives and led FDA to promulgate regulations listing substances, such as MSG, which have a history of safe use or are otherwise GRAS.

Since 1970, FDA has sponsored extensive reviews on the safety of MSG, other glutamates and hydrolyzed proteins, as part of an ongoing review of safety data on GRAS substances used in processed foods.

One such review was by the FASEB Select Committee on GRAS Substances. In 1980, the committee concluded that MSG was safe at current levels of use but recommended additional evaluation to determine MSG's safety at significantly higher levels of consumption. Additional reports attempted to look at this.

In 1986, FDA's Advisory Committee on Hypersensitivity to Food Constituents concluded that MSG poses no threat to the general public but that reactions of brief duration might occur in some people.

Other reports gave similar findings. A 1991 report by the European Communities' (EC) Scientific Committee for Foods reaffirmed MSG's safety and classified its "acceptable daily intake" as "not specified," the most favorable designation for a food ingredient. In addition, the EC Committee said, "Infants, including prematures, have been shown to metabolize glutamate as efficiently as adults and therefore do not display any special susceptibility to elevated oral intakes of glutamate."

A 1992 report from the Council on Scientific Affairs of the American Medical Association stated that glutamate in any form has not been shown to be a "significant health hazard."

Also, the 1987 Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization have placed MSG in the safest category of food ingredients.

From: FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition

Be aware that many ingredients naturally contain MSG, but are not required by the FDA to e labeled as such. These ingredients include hydrololyzed vegetable protein, Kombu extract and natural flavoring or seasoning.

From: The Food Lovers Companion, 2001

[marito]

WOW! and Thanks never imagined it whas all of that in a few letters.

[ChefHogan]

MSG is a chemical compond that tricks the taste buds and speeds up the pulminory system. It also destroys the taste buds. It does NOT exist in my kitchen except in the form of Soya Sauce.

Originally posted by marito
Hi there evry one. I recently whas reading some chinese recipes and noticed that they use MSG many times, I realy dont know what that means (no description available). Is any one familiar whit MSG for chinese cooking? here's the link
http://www.china.org.cn/english/MATERIAL/71932.htm
Thank you!

[Marzoli]

It's good to know that more people are becoming aware of the problems connected with MSG. I wish more chefs would ban it from their kitchens!
I have the same problem with aspartame.
Both MSG and aspartame raise my blood pressure, cause ringing in my ears, cause me to sweat, make my eyes hurt, break me out . . .
'Nuf said.

[mudbug]

There is no reason to ban an ingredient entirely.

MSG is an ingredient. Some people are sensitive to it, some aren't. Some are sensitive to peanuts, some aren't. Some are sensitive to seafood, some aren't.

"a number of international scientific, medical and regulatory organizations have reviewed the scientific research on MSG safety and have found MSG to be safe. Some of these organizations include:

* the American Medical Association (AMA)
* the United Nations' FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)
* the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Communities"

"Are some people allergic to MSG?
No. MSG is not an allergen. In 1991, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology concluded that MSG is not a food allergen, and severe reactions are not associated with consumption of the ingredient. It is possible that some people may be sensitive to MSG, just as people are to many other foods.

If you think you have a food allergy, it's important to get a professional diagnosis from a board-certified allergist (preferably one with a specialty in food allergies). Relying on self-diagnosis could lead to unnecessary food restrictions and, more importantly, cause you to ignore or miss another important health problem."

There's no cause for a heated debate here. Everything in moderation and balance. If you eat too much of any one thing, of course your body's going to react. Some trainees in the military actually died from drinking too much water!

Everything has pros and cons. If you don't like it, don't eat it. Some of us love the flavor MSG adds to certain dishes.

MSG Information

[CampChef]

Another reason some restaurants will overuse MSG is to mask cheap, tough cuts of meat. You can use the oldest, toughest hunk of chicken, add enough MSG, and it becomes tender. I have used it sparingly in different applications, and have never had a problem. To ban an ingredient from you kitchen because of lack of information is always a scary way to go. Who knows what flavors you will miss!

[phatch]

Originally posted by ChefHogan
MSG is a .... It also destroys the taste buds.

I'd be interested in seeing some sources to support that statement.

Phil

[mike]

Its used as a flavour enhancer to chinese & oriental foods. It also gives food a shiny gloopy consistency.
Personally I avoid the stuff as it makes my mouth sore & gives my wife water retention ( no thats not the beer) it really does make her limbs swell, therefore I think its something to avoid but hey a billion Chinese cant be wrong.

[Nick.Shu]

ahh dear, there seems to be a few misconceptions floating around.

1) "The shiny gloopy" stuff that you refer to mike, is not msg. This from an effect in chinese (namely cantonese cooking) cooking attributed to a method called "velveting". It is simply the dredging of meat in corn flour and partially deepfrying in peanut oil. The meat is removed and reserved, vegetables are stirfried and then the meat is returned and finsihed with chicken stock, whatever flavouring and a slurry of cornflour and water.

2) The tenderising method used in most chinese restaurants is to either, or both soak the meat in water and add an alkaline substance, vis a vis - bicarbonate of soda, to that water. This would explain that in some restaurants, why the food has a slightly fizzy mouth feel.

3) glutamates exist in a wide variety of foods - why do dried porcini mushrooms have such an intense flavour? - same for sun dried tomatoes - mudbug is on the money with:

"Glutamate itself is in many living things: It is found naturally in our bodies and in protein-containing foods, such as cheese, milk, meat, peas, and mushrooms."

it appears that there is considerable pressure from consumers not to use the stuff, which appears to stem from mainly anecdotal evidence.

Think about it this way, if you add too much salt, you are going to get side effects, so why wouldnt it apply to other substances?.