Are Labels Hiding MSG?

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Are Labels Hiding MSG?

Are there hidden sources of MSG that are not disclosed on food labels? Ever

since the popular CBS news expose' program, " 60 Minutes " , broadcast a report ten

years ago exploring hypersensitivity to monosodium glutamate (MSG), confused,

sometimes angry, consumers have continued to ask for answers to this question. A

list of common questions and answers about MSG are provided below:

 

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.

 

Symptoms of MSG hypersensitivity

Symptoms may include one or more 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.

 

MSG hypersensitivity in the United States

Depending on the group providing and interpreting a wide range of old and new

data, hypersensitivity to MSG has been reported to effect 1.8% to 30% of the

population. Between 1980 and 1994, the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System in

FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) received 622 reports

of complaints about MSG. Headache was the most frequently reported symptom.

However, sensitivity specifically to MSG is extremely difficult to diagnose

since reported reactions occurred anywhere from immediately to many hours later,

raising the uncertainty whether for some people, the reactions could be

attributed to other foods eaten or environmental factors encountered in the

interim.

 

Government MSG Reveiw

In 1959, the FDA classified MSG as a " generally recognized as safe " or GRAS,

substance. Since 1970, they have 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.

 

In 1986, the 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.

 

To provide an extensive scientific review of the subject, in 1992 the Food and

Drug Administration (FDA) contracted with an independent group of scientists,

the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). Their

report was presented to the FDA on July 31, 1995.The report identifies two

groups of people who may develop a condition the report refers to as " MSG

symptom complex. " One group includes 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.

 

In otherwise healthy MSG-intolerant people, the MSG symptom complex tends to

occur within one hour after eating 3 grams or more of MSG on an empty stomach or

without other food. A typical serving of glutamate-treated food contains less

than 0.5 grams of MSG. A reaction is most likely if the MSG is eaten in a large

quantity or in a liquid, such as a clear soup.

 

Other important findings include:

 

* 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.

* The level of vitamin B6 in a person's body plays a role in glutamate

metabolism, and the possible impact of marginal B6 intake should be considered

in future research.

* There is no scientific evidence that the levels of glutamate in hydrolyzed

proteins causes adverse effects or that other manufactured glutamate has effects

different from glutamate normally found in foods.

 

What is " glutamate " ?

Glutamate is derived from glutamic acid, a major building block for proteins. It

is found naturally in our bodies and in protein-containing foods, such as

cheese, milk, meat, peas, and mushrooms. MSG is one of several types of

glutamate. When glutamate is released during breakdown of the protein molecule,

" free glutamate " is formed. These substances can be added to food to enhance its

flavor and are the focus of much of the concern about glutamate. It is only in

this free form that glutamate can enhance a food's flavor.

 

Some foods, such as ripe tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, contain high levels of

naturally occuring free glutamate. The flavor enhancing effect of hydrolyzed

protein products, including soy sauce, is due to the presence of free glutamate.

 

What are " hydrolyzed proteins " ?

Hydrolyzed proteins, or protein hydrolysates, are prepared by using food grade

acid or enzymes to chemically digest proteins from soy meal, wheat gluten, corn

gluten, edible strains of yeast, or other food sources. These protein foods are

rich sources of glutamate. When proteins are broken down, bound glutamate is

converted into free glutamate. The level of free glutamate resulting from

hydrolysis varies from product to product, at levels of 5 to 20 percent.

Hydrolyzed proteins can be used in a product as leavening agents, stabilizers

(to impart body or improved consistency, etc.), thickeners, a protein source,

and as a flavor enhancer. When used in a product as a flavoring agent,

hydrolyzed proteins are used in the same manner as MSG in many foods, such as in

canned vegetables, soups, and processed meats. However, the amount of free

glutamate in hydrolyzed proteins is significantly lower than what occurs in

monosodium glutamate.

 

Food labeling rules regarding MSG?

Under current FDA regulations, when MSG is added to a food, it must be

identified as " monosodium glutamate " in the label's ingredient list. Each

ingredient used to make a food must be declared by its name in this list.

 

While technically MSG is only one of several forms of free glutamate used in

foods, consumers frequently use the term MSG to mean all free glutamate. For

this reason, FDA considers foods whose labels say " No MSG " or " No Added MSG " to

be misleading if the food contains ingredients that are sources of free

glutamates, such as hydrolyzed protein.

 

As mandated by the Code of Federal Regulations, 21CFR101.22 Subpart B: Foods:

Labeling of Spices, Flavorings, Colorings, and Chemical Preservatives, the terms

" flavors " , " natural flavors " , or " flavorings " may not include MSG, hydrolyzed

proteins, and autolyzed yeast. Each of these must be declared on the label by

its common or usual name rather than hidden within another blanket term.

 

Therefore, in processed foods containing other ingredients with significant

levels of free glutamate, such as hydrolyzed proteins, autolyzed yeast, and soy

sauce, manufacturers must declare these ingredients like any other ingredient on

their labels.

 

Furthermore, since some adverse reactions to hydrolyzed proteins may be due to

the source used to produce the hydrolysate rather than to glutamate itself, in

May 1993, the FDA amended Part 102 in the Code of Federal Regulations referring

to " Common or Usual Name for Non-Standardized Foods " . In 21CFR102.22 which

specifically targets protein hydrolysates, the ruling states: " The common or

usual name of a protein hydrolysate shall be specific to the ingredient and

shall include the identity of the food source from which the protein was

derived. "

 

Examples of what this would mean on a label include such sources as: hydrolyzed

wheat gluten, hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed casein. Terms

such as hydrolyzed milk protein, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or hydrolyzed

protein are not acceptable because they do not identify the food source of the

protein. Labels of products including protein hydrolysates had to be in

compliance by May 8, 1994.

 

Will the FDA ever require that foods high in free glutamate declare " glutamate "

on the label? Although the FDA considered this in 1993 and in 1996 asked for

public comments on the declaration of free glutamate in foods, no labeling rule

has been proposed since the comment period. Whether the FDA decides the extra

labeling is warranted or not, anyone who is sensitive to MSG or ingredients that

contain significant levels of free glutamate should read ingredient labels

carefully to screen for ingredients that may cause adverse reactions.