Maggi Controversy: Is MSG in Your Food Safe to Consume?

Worried about MSG in your Chinese food? Let’s breakdown myths vs facts

It’s possibly the biggest food hoax. MSG in your food has been accused of causing all kinds of health problems.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

The Supreme Court on 3 January, 2019 vacated its stay on the Centre’s 2015 action seeking damages of Rs 640 crore from Nestle India limited - the manufacturer of Maggi noodles - for alleged unfair trade practices, false labelling and misleading advertisements.

The class action is rooted in the case of alleged high lead content and presence of MSG (monosodium glutamate) in Nestle’s popular Maggi instant noodles.

The Centre contended that the main issue in the class action was not whether noodles were harmful or not, but the company misled the consumers by alleged unfair trade practices, false labelling and misleading advertisements.

One may remember, that in the 70s and 80s, the anti-MSG noise had reached such decibel levels that it hit the business of restaurants selling Asian cuisine, specially in Western countries. In 2015, the anti-MSG noise hit the makers of India’s beloved instant noodle brand the most – costing them half a billion dollars.

So, what is this MSG? And why does it have such a bad rep in the food industry? Is it really harmful to your health?

Let’s breakdown fact vs fiction around Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

What Is MSG?

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Let’s delve into the science of how we arrived at MSG.

The birth of MSG can be traced back to early 1900s Japan, when a Chemistry Professor Kikunae Ikeda at the University of Tokyo was determined to find a flavour other than the four basic tastes of sweet, salty, sour and bitter.

He called this new taste ‘umami’ meaning savoury or meat like.

Your four tastes and umami! (Photo: iStockphoto)

Now, how does one get this ‘umami’ flavour?

Glutamic acid is a naturally existing amino acid that is found in various foods. These amino acids are essential building blocks that create proteins – there are 20 different types of them and the way they interact and react helps determine what protein is made.

In order to get this ‘umami’ or ‘meat like’ flavor in your mouth, we need to first separate glutamic acid from the protein. Monosodium Glutamate is simply the salt formed from this freed glutamic acid.

Once this molecule hits our taste buds, it lights up certain receptors in the brain and translates to the ‘umami’ sensation.

What we perhaps don’t know is this: Glutamate is found in a range of foods including tomatoes, parmesan cheese, mushrooms, soy sauce, a number of fruits, veggies and even human breast milk.

The good professor in Japan extracted glutamate from a seaweed called Kombu, that’s a main stay of Japanese cuisine. Adding sodium stabilises glutamate into a powder or crystal form and that is added to food for that ‘umami’ flavour.

The prof went on to create his famous MSG-based condiment Ajinomoto - that your local Chinese stall wallah adds generously to everything he cooks.

What's the Controversy?

None. For many decades.

Ajinomoto and MSG introduced a new flavour that the world lapped up, adding to the popularity of Asian cuisine in the West.

But then in 1968 someone wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine claiming he suffered from various symptoms including nausea, headache, numbness at the back of his neck and arms, heart palpitations and other such symptoms after eating at a Chinese restaurant. Various other people complained about a similar sensation leading to what became known as the ‘Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.’

Could it be that MSG was the culprit?

Turns out mice are particularly sensitive to high doses of MSG.(Photo: iStockphoto)

What followed was a number of studies that supported both sides of the debate.

According to BBC Future, a Washington University researcher found that injecting monosodium glutamate in mice led to development of dead tissue patches in the brain. And these mice grew up to be stunted, obese and sterile.

Here’s the problem. Most other studies that followed showed otherwise.

Another little fact – turns out mice are particularly sensitive to high doses of MSG.

The US Food and Drug Administration carried out a mega study of all previously done studies in 1995. They found that there was a subgroup of humans who do react to large doses of MSG.

The moot point here is ‘large’ doses.

FDA classifies MSG as GRAS or ‘Generally Recognised As Safe.’ As a rule FDA requires that all additives in packaged foods be labeled separately. So if MSG is added as a flavour enhancer in food, it needs to be clearly labeled.

There’s more. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation (WHO) place MSG in the safest category.

Here’s some interesting information: The human body doesn’t distinguish between MSG from natural proteins and added MSG. Once it is in the body, both are processed the same way.

What’s Up with India, MSG and Maggi?

Before MSG, Messenger of God Ram Rahim, unleashed himself and his films on Indians, MSG of another kind had created quite a storm. Protests against Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) had already brought one of the biggest food and beverage companies on it’s knees.

In March 2014, a Food and Drug Safety official in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh decided to send few packets of Maggi for testing at a local lab to test its ‘no MSG’ claim. His daughter loved the noodles and he wanted to test the product.

The findings kick started a storm. Not only did the tests come back MSG positive, but the packets also contained high levels of lead.

This eventually led to a temporary ban on the product, and the biggest recall of a food product in history.

MSG? No MSG? That’s the question that started the instant noodle saga in India.(Photo: iStockphoto)

All this while the company continued to claim they didn’t add MSG as a flavour enhancer in their products. The MSG that popped up in test results could be the naturally existing kind found in the raw material used to make the noodle. They refuted the lead levels found in the tests.

The ban lasted a few months. Damage was done. A new ‘Indian’ version of instant noodle with ‘no MSG’ sign had flooded the market.

Indian Food Safety regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said this in its rules:

‘The food safety commissioners cannot take action against manufacturers of noodles/pasta based on the presence of MSG/glutamic acid, unless there is confirmation that MSG flavour enhancer was deliberately added during the manufacturing process and not declared on the label.’

Where Are We Now?

Is MSG safe for consumption?(Photo: iStockphoto)

• So now, we know MSG is a naturally occurring amino acid found in many food products including your cheese, your tomatoes, mushroom, soy sauce etc.
• We know most of the Asian population regularly eats these foods, besides adding MSG as a flavour enhancer does not lead to the symptoms that have been described as ‘Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.’
• Most reports of this ‘syndrome’ are anecdotal.
• According to Mayo Clinic, researchers say a small number of people do suffer from some reaction, but that is mild and is treatable.

FIT spoke to Delnaaz T Chanduwadia, Chief Dietician with Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai. She says consuming MSG is safe in small amounts.

There are people who may be sensitive to MSG that may trigger their nervous system leading to various symptoms. Or for people who suffer from asthma, the frequency of attacks may increase. The only way to prevent this is to eliminate MSG from your diet.

Delnaaz T Chanduwadia, Chief Dietician, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai

So there you go. We’ve demystified MSG for you. If you have any questions, or you want us to deep dive into another science hoax, do write to us at [e-mail].