Monosodium glutamate

The popular brand of noodles, Maggi, is in the eye of a storm. The monosodium glutamate levels in the noodles is being questioned on basis that it violates the health concerns. This not the first time that monosodium glutamate (MSG) popularly known as Chinese salt or ajinomoto is under attack. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally-occurring non-essential amino acids. MSG is found in tomatoes, Parmesan, potatoes, mushrooms, and other vegetables and fruits.

MSG is used in the food industry as a flavour enhancer that intensifies the meaty, savory flavour of food, as naturally occurring glutamate does in foods such as stews and meat soups. This was first prepared by Japanese biochemist Kikunae Ikeda, who was seeking to isolate and duplicate the savoury taste of kombu, an edible seaweed used as a base for many Japanese soups. MSG as a flavour enhancer balances, blends and rounds the perception of other tastes. It is particularly popular in Korean, Japanese and Chinese cuisine.

The US Food and Drug Administration has given MSG a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designation. While a popular belief in the Anglosphere holds that large doses of MSG can cause headaches and other feelings of discomfort collectively known as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome; however, in controlled studies scientists have been unable to trigger such reactions consistently. The European Union classifies it as a food additive permitted in certain foods and subject to quantitative limits. With results of the samples of noodles in India are awaited the debate on the safety of the product goes on.