MSG in Food: What We Dodge

You won’t see us turning away good food at this house… unless that good flavor comes from the nasty little chemical compound called monosodium glutamate (MSG). This scary little food additive can be found in a lot of prepackaged foods, fried foods, and meats. Chain restaurants, locally owned restaurants, fast food, slow family restaurants – a lot of ‘em have this little additive.

You and I chose foods based on taste. MSG’s main function is to enhance the taste of food, so we naturally turn to food products with more MSG. The United States Food & Drug Administration says that MSG is okay in our food at this point, but a lot of scientists disagree.

Every time Martin and I move, I start thinking about our diet.  It shifts slightly each time as our meals match what’s readily available.  You can probably bet there wasn’t an organic Sri Lanka restaurant back where I was learning to fly in the US, and I don’t think we’ll be finding fresh raspberries on the side of the road in Berlin.  Those changes are easy to recognize; it’s the chemical adjustments that have me thinking – you know, stuff like MSG.

So what’s the big deal?

MSG tears open your taste buds to heighten the flavor of food. If you eat a lot of MSG in your meal, your mouth will feel kind of funny afterward. Martin would describe it as raw feeling. For me, it’s kind of waxy. I feel like a dog trying to lick peanut butter off the roof of my mouth. Try eating a bunch of jerky or a shrimp basket at your favorite restaurant, and you’ll see what we mean when you walk out the door.

fried-food1

Some scientists believe MSG is one of the biggest causes of obesity in the US, and others worry about how it over-stimulates our brains.  A lot of people get headaches after eating Chinese food in the US. It’s because of MSG.  I’ve read about how it increases chances of cancer, asthma, and Alzheimer’s. I suppose the argument could be that everything that we do or eat influences these diseases. MSG is something we can feel, which is rare, and it doesn’t feel natural at all… which is reason enough for our house and maybe yours to try and steer clear.  Here’s how:

In Your Cupboards

There are a lot of arguments about MSG. I even caught a commercial for MSG-free soup while I was watching TV with my grandma in the US.  The easiest way to avoid MSG at home is to:

  • read labels. In the US, look for “monosodium glutamate” in the ingredient list.  In Germany, we pretty much avoid packaged food in general, so I can’t give you an exact MSG name.  I’m sorry to report that any packaged food like sauces or instant mixes that come from American companies probably have MSG.
  • eat fewer packaged foods. If you avoid food in boxes (minus things like rice, tea, and pasta), you shouldn’t be getting MSG.

    • At the Restaurant

    We ask.  A lot of waitresses will have no idea what MSG is, so ask about preservatives in the food.  At our house, the easiest way we’ve found to avoid MSG is to avoid fried food.

    We don’t know the answers, but I just thought I’d pass on one of the little chemicals we dodge like the plague at our house in our efforts to simplify our diet and our lives.

    How does dinner roll at your house?  Are you reading labels and watching out for MSG or other additives?  Got ingredients you nix from your shopping cart?  You know we’re hungry to hear!

    (Data from Healthy Choices; image from Boston)