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MSG is back. Is the idea it’s bad for us just a myth or food science?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/evangeline-mantzioris-153250">Evangeline Mantzioris</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> MSG is making a comeback. The internet’s favourite cucumber salad recipe includes fish sauce, cucumber, garlic and – as the video’s creator Logan tells us with a generous sprinkle from the bag – “MSG, obviously”. But for many of us, it’s not obvious. Do you have a vague sense MSG is unhealthy but you’re not sure why? Here is the science behind monosodium glutamate, how it got a bad rap, and whether you should add it to your cooking. <h2>What is MSG?</h2> Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the amino acids that make up proteins. It occurs naturally in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942912.2017.1295260#d1e167">foods</a> such as mature cheeses, fish, beef, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion and garlic. It provides their savoury and “meaty” flavour, known as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622140186">umami</a>. MSG has been used to season food for <a href="https://wjpsonline.com/index.php/wjps/article/view/effects-monosodium-glutamate-human-health-review">more than 100 years</a>. Traditionally it <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/ed081p347?ref=article_openPDF">was extracted</a> from seaweed broth, but now it’s made by fermenting starch in sugar beets, sugar cane and molasses. Today it’s widely used as a flavour enhancer in many dishes and pre-packaged goods, including soups, condiments and processed meats. There is no chemical difference between the MSG found in food and the additive. <h2>Is it safe?</h2> For most people, yes. MSG is a safe and authorised additive, according to the Australian agency that regulates food. This corresponds with food standards in the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/questions-and-answers-monosodium-glutamate-msg">United States</a>, <a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02008R1333-20201223#tocId3">European Union and United Kingdom</a>. Two major <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/sites/default/files/consumer/additives/msg/Documents/MSG%20Technical%20Report.pdf">safety reviews</a> have been conducted: one in 1987 by a United Nations expert committee and another 1995 by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Both concluded MSG was safe for the general population. In 2017 the <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4910">European Food Safety Authority</a> updated its stance and set a recommended limit based on body weight, aimed to prevent headaches and increased blood pressure. That limit is still higher than most people consume. The authority says an 80kg person should not have more than 2.4g of added MSG per day. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/1602526">For reference</a>, Europeans average less than a gram per day (0.3-1 gram), while in Asia intake is somewhere between 1.2-1.7 grams a day. Food Standards Australia New Zealand says the European update does not raise any new safety concerns not already assessed. <h2>Isn’t it bad for me?</h2> Despite the evidence, the idea MSG is dangerous persists. Its notorious reputation can be traced back to a <a href="https://news.colgate.edu/magazine/2019/02/06/the-strange-case-of-dr-ho-man-kwok/">hoax letter</a> published in the <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM196805162782014">New England Journal of Medicine</a> in 1968. A doctor claiming to have experienced palpitations, numbness and fatigue after eating at a Chinese restaurant suggested MSG could be to blame. With a follow-up article in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1968/05/19/archives/-chinese-restaurant-syndrome-puzzles-doctors.html">New York Times</a>, the idea of “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” took off. Eating MSG was associated with a range of symptoms, including headache, hives, throat swelling, itching and belly pain. However an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/027869159390012N?via%3Dihub">early randomised control trial</a> showed no difference in these symptoms between people who were given MSG versus a placebo. This has since been confirmed in a <a href="https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12448">review of many studies</a>. <h2>Can MSG cause reactions?</h2> A very small percentage of people may have hypersensitivities to MSG. The reported reaction is now known as MSG symptom complex, rather than so-called Chinese restaurant syndrome, with its <a href="https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(21)00068-X/abstract#:%7E:text=A%20New%20York%20Times%20piece,connecting%20MSG%20to%20health%20outcomes.">problematic</a> racial connotations. Symptoms are usually mild, short-term and don’t need treatment. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091674999703714">One study</a> looked at 100 people with asthma, 30 of whom believed they had hypersensitivities to MSG. However when participants were blinded to whether they were consuming MSG, not one reported a reaction. If you believe you do react to added MSG, it’s relatively easy to avoid. In Australia, it is <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/msg">listed</a> in ingredients as either monosodium glutamate or flavour enhancer 621. <h2>Is it better than table salt?</h2> Using MSG instead of regular salt may help <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6893472/">reduce</a> your overall sodium intake, as MSG <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/msg-what-the-science-says-about-its-safety#Uses-of-MSG">contains</a> about one third the amount of sodium. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21372742/">One study</a> found people who ate soup seasoned with MSG rather than salt actually liked it more. They still found it salty to taste, but their sodium intake was reduced by 18%. MSG still contains sodium, so high use is associated with increased <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21372742/">blood pressure</a>. If you’re using MSG as a substitute and you have high blood pressure, you should closely monitor it (just as you would with other salt products). <h2>Should I use MSG in my cooking?</h2> If you want to – yes. Unless you are one of the rare people with hypersensitivities, enhancing the flavour of your dish with a sprinkle of MSG will not cause any health problems. It could even help reduce how much salt you use. If you’re <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/25765299.2020.1807084#d1e199">vegetarian or vegan</a>, cooking with MSG could help add the umami flavour you may miss from animal products such as meat, fish sauce and cheese. But buying foods with added MSG? Be aware, many of them will also be <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/un-decade-of-nutrition-the-nova-food-classification-and-the-trouble-with-ultraprocessing/2A9776922A28F8F757BDA32C3266AC2A">ultra-processed</a> and it’s that – not the MSG – that’s associated with poor physical and mental <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/1/174">health outcomes</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237871/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/evangeline-mantzioris-153250">Evangeline Mantzioris</a>, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/msg-is-back-is-the-idea-its-bad-for-us-just-a-myth-or-food-science-237871">original article</a>.

Food & Wine

Bursting with flavour: Cauliflower steaks with feta

<div class="article-body"> If you're looking for a new light meal, the cauliflower base of this recipe has loads of health benefits - plus it's beautifully seasoned with za'atar and chipotle flakes. Serves: 2 Ingredients <ul> <li>1 large cauliflower</li> <li>2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>2 teaspoons za’atar</li> <li>Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</li> </ul> To serve <ul> <li>150g feta cheese, crumbled</li> <li>2 teaspoons chipotle chilli flakes</li> <li>2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</li> <li>1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves</li> </ul> Directions <ol> <li>Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced.</li> <li>Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.</li> <li>Take the cauliflower and turn it stalk up on a chopping board. You want to get two cauliflower steaks, each about 2 centimetres thick, with the stalk holding them together.</li> <li>Slice off the side florets and save those for another day - to make cauliflower rice or eat as crudités, for example.</li> <li>Put the two steaks side by side on the baking paper and drizzle with the oil and za’atar. Rub with your hands to make sure both sides are evenly covered and add a little salt and pepper.</li> <li>Cook in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The steaks should be golden brown and starting to char around the edges.</li> <li>To serve, cover each steak with feta, sprinkle with chilli flakes, drizzle with olive oil and scatter with oregano.</li> </ol> This is an edited extract from <a rel="noopener" href="http://t.dgm-au.com/c/185116/69171/1880?u=https://www.booktopia.com.au/pioppi-diet-dr-aseem-malhotra/prod9781405932639.html" target="_blank">The Pioppi Diet by Dr Aseem Halhotra & Donal O'Neill</a>, Penguin Books, RRP $24.99. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wyza.com.au/recipes/cauliflower-steaks-with-feta.aspx" target="_blank">Wyza.com.au</a>. </div>

Food & Wine

Refresh with naturally flavoured water

We all know how important it is to keep hydrated for over-all wellbeing. If you struggle to get your regular 6-8 glasses a day, there's a great way to turn a jug of water into something more exotic; and it's also really simple! Restaurants. hotels and cafes have been doing it for years, but now it’s your turn to transform your jug of water in to an invigorating summer drink by adding natural flavour to it. From melon to berries to lime, you can even use a vegetable like cucumber to give your plain old water a refreshing makeover. Flavoured water is a great alternative to high calorie sugary drinks that aren’t good for us and caffeinated beverages that usually leave us even more dehydrated. Making flavoured water can be as easy as cutting up some wedges of oranges, lemon or lime or you can mash up some strawberries and raspberries and add a touch of green with fresh mint or basil leaves from your garden. However if you’re really committed to the cause, investing in a water flavour infuser could be the way to go. There’s a variety of infuser options out there with everything from jugs to drink bottles available in stores such as Myer and Target or you can also purchase them online on sites. Jugs generally come with an infusion rod or a strainer pitcher built in the lid – so if you don't want to combine the actual fruit pieces in with the water, an infuser jug is the way to go. Infuser jugs are ideal especially if you’re entertaining guests or spending most of the day outside. If t’s just for yourself, an infuser drink bottle is a great little contraption to take with you on a walk or in the car. Written by Tahlia Pritchard. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/lifestyle/food-and-wine/naturally-flavoured-water.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a>

Food & Wine

Top chef’s clever $4 hack to improve the flavour of airline food

A top chef has revealed a clever trick for improving the taste of airline foods. Jason Atherton, who earned a Michelin star in 2011 at his London restaurant Pollen Street Social and now runs restaurant group The Social Company, spoke to newspaper <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/kB8rESIBU5X87BEb2uEv9L/Cutting-the-room-service-line-and-other-travel-hacks.html">Mint</a> about his best travel tips. The British chef, who said he flew around 800,000 kilometres a year, said he tries to avoid eating airline food but when he does he used this tip provided by his friend actor Jude Law. “It was Law who told me to always take Tabasco on a plane,” he said, referring to the spicy sauce you can buy at the supermarket for just $4. “Aeroplane food is always bland, so it’s great to give it kick. “But I just try my hardest not to eat on planes. I can normally do it up to about 12 hours. If I go to Australia, I have to eat, obviously, because it’s 24 hours on a plane for me. “I just eat the protein, drowned in Tabasco, which tastes OK — well, it tastes of Tabasco, to be honest.” <img width="397" height="611" src="https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/ca03ff450cb3fcf554c59a087b98b1ab" alt="A small bottle of this in your carry-on bag could take your in-flight meal from “not great” to “not bad”." style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> It makes sense that a spicy sauce improves the flavour of food in pressurised cabin, where both our senses of taste and smell are dulled. The cabin pressure particularly impacts our sensitivity to sweet and salty flavours, which can be diminished by as much as 30 per cent during a flight.

Travel Tips

Slow-cooked pork belly with Asian flavours

Slow-cooking pork belly creates a super tasty treat – its high fat content makes it rich and incredibly succulent. This dish can be cooked a day or two ahead: let the pork cool in the cooking liquid then remove to a flat plate or tray, cover and refrigerate. Slice the meat and let it come to room temperature before grilling. Serves: 4-6 Ingredients: <ul> <li>1.25-1.5kg piece or pieces of pork belly (bones removed)</li> <li>1 tablespoon peanut oil</li> <li>1 tablespoon sesame oil</li> <li>2 medium cinnamon sticks</li> <li>3 whole star anise</li> <li>1 thumb ginger, peeled and finely sliced</li> <li>3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced</li> <li>200ml orange juice</li> <li>¼ cup brown sugar, plus 1-2 tablespoons extra for gravy </li> <li>¼ cup soy sauce</li> <li>2 tablespoons rice vinegar</li> <li>1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce</li> </ul> Method: <ol start="1"> <li>Heat oven to 150°C. If the pork skin hasn't already been scored, do this with a very sharp knife, in lines about a finger-width apart. </li> <li>Heat peanut and sesame oils in a flameproof casserole large enough to hold the pork snugly. Sear pork on both sides, finishing with the pork skin side up.</li> <li>Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl or large jug. Pour over and around pork. The liquid should come at least two-thirds of the way up the meat – if necessary add water.</li> <li>Place a piece of baking paper inside casserole over pork and cover with casserole lid. Place in the oven and cook 3 hours until pork is very soft. (This dish can also be cooked on the stove top at a gentle simmer for 3 hours.)</li> <li>Carefully remove pork from juices and allow to rest 15 minutes then pat skin dry with a paper towel. Place pork skin side up under a pre-heated grill until the skin starts to crackle. </li> <li>To reduce the cooking liquid for serving as a gravy, pour it through a sieve into a small saucepan, adding an extra 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar, and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook until reduced and thickened slightly. For a thicker sauce, add a little cornflour. </li> <li>Serve pork with the gravy and garnished with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves if desired.</li> </ol> Written by Bernadette Hogg. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>. Image credit: Manja Wachsmuth.

Food & Wine

Cadbury announce very interesting new flavours

Few things cause Australians to get up in arms but a change to the Cadbury milk chocolate flavours is one of them. The chocolate giant have announced they are innovating with flavours, but their new suggestions of Kale Crème, Wasabi Crunch and Beetroot Jelly is dividing public opinion. Chocolate inventor Dave Shepard says the new flavours are part of the brands goal for “innovation and experimentation. Past innovations have included Nut Crunch and Marvellous Creations bars, both of which were received well. On the other end of the spectrum is Cadbury’s release of Vegemite flavoured milk chocolate, a controversial release. The new flavour ideas are said to reflect social trends towards new, quirky taste combinations. Kale Crème is believed to tap into a rise in demand for savoury chocolate flavours, will Beetroot Jelly is aimed at superfood-lovers and Wasabi Crunch targets the “popularity of Asian flavours,” according to Shepard. “We like to think of it as akin to the fashion catwalk — we’re experimenting with ideas that won’t actually appear on the shelves,” he said. “Instead you may see new flavours inspired by these further down the line. While you may not see the whacky chocolates in single bars in the supermarket aisle during your next shop, they might make their way into the Cadbury Milk Tray. Tell us: would you try Cadbury’s wacky new flavour innovations? Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2015/12/3-ingredient-cheesecake-recipe/">Why are people going crazy for this cheesecake recipe from Japan?</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2015/12/chocolate-slices-invention/">You can now buy slices of chocolate just like cheese singles</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/11/chocolate-chip-blondies/">Chocolate chip blondies</a>

News

“New Zealand” flavoured gelato set to hit Aussie stores

Gelato Messina has teamed with Tourism New Zealand to create a “New Zealand” flavoured gelato. The new, limited-edition flavour will come as part of Tourism New Zealand’s “Inspired by Wellington” Campaign that will promote New Zealand as a tourist location. Tourism New Zealand general manager in Australia, Tony Saunders said they’re proud to partner with Gelato Messina and excited for the campaign: “Famed for its uniqueness and creativity, we’re thrilled to see a New Zealand inspired flavour. Australia is a priority market for Tourism New Zealand and this campaign showcases the essence of what makes the Wellington region special.” <img width="497" height="280" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/10896/gelato-messina-wellington-imbed_497x280.jpg" alt="Gelato Messina Wellington Imbed (2)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Mr Palumbo and Mr Saunders Gelato Messina founder Nick Palumbo toured Wellington seeking inspiration for the new flavour. The flavour will be available in Gelato Messina stores for one week from Thursday 12 November.

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MSG is back. Is the idea it’s bad for us just a myth or food science?

Bursting with flavour: Cauliflower steaks with feta

Refresh with naturally flavoured water

Top chef’s clever $4 hack to improve the flavour of airline food

Slow-cooked pork belly with Asian flavours

Cadbury announce very interesting new flavours

“New Zealand” flavoured gelato set to hit Aussie stores