Kate Midena
April 10, 2013
news.com.au
IF you were one of the many who thought that the MSG story started and ended when it was phased out of Chinese restaurants in the 1990s, you might be surprised to learn that the food additive still exists – and it’s in many of your favourite foods.
“From noodles to rice crackers to chicken flavoured chips and oyster sauces, MSG still exists in foods you eat all the time” nutritionist Susie Burrell told news.com.au
“Have you ever found yourself going back time and time again for more Doritos? That’s the MSG effect – MSG is really addictive, and it programs you to eat more and more.”
How exactly does MSG work?
“MSG produces a really rich flavour which is added to savoury foods. However, tests show that MSG basically lights the brain up because the flavour is so strong, programming people to get addicted and also causing quite a strong physical reaction in many people.
“An MSG-related reaction can be anything from itchy skin and a heightened awareness to heart palpitations and an inability to sleep. Reactions can occur anywhere from 2-8 hours later, so it’s not necessarily immediate, which is why people may be unaware they are intolerant.
“Glutemate – which is the G part of MSG – does occur naturally in things like cheese and tomato, but with MSG you’re getting it as a concentrate. So, you’re consuming levels of glutamate that you never would if you were to eat a tomato or a piece of cheese, and our bodies just aren’t built to handle that.”
It is difficult to pin down exactly how many people are sensitive to MSG – studies say anywhere from two per cent to 36 per cent of the population. One person who knows what it’s like to live with a sensitivity however, is Nina Taylor.
“Growing up my mother cooked very healthy food from scratch and virtually never resorted to packet food/stock cubes so I really didn’t have any problems early on,” she told news.com.au
“When we went out as a family we would often go to Eastern European style restaurants, generally where stocks were made from real bones and vegetables, so MSG was not really part of my life. It was only when I went to University and would go out to Asian- style restaurants with friends that I started to notice strange side effects from what appeared to be a healthy stir-fry meal. Nevertheless, I tried to otherwise explain the symptoms as viruses, or lack of water.
“Finally, the MSG assault came to a head when I went on holiday to Bali with my mother in my mid-twenties. Night after night, the symptoms would manifest. So we did some sleuthing and found out that the Balinese use MAGGI stock cubes in the tourist food. I ended up having to order steamed vegetables and unflavoured meat without sauces, which was terribly difficult. Fortunately, when we travelled up to Ubud, they had authentic Balinese food available and suddenly the nightmarish symptoms subsided and I was able to sleep.”
For Ms Taylor, those symptoms include a racing pulse, headaches, unquenchable thirst, sleeplessness, nightmares, and rapid and illogical thought processes that she likens to excessive caffeine use. When she avoids MSG, her symptoms disappear.
Avoiding MSG
“You need to look out for products that are marked with ‘Preservative 621’ – you’ll be surprised by how many foods contain it. Preservative 635 can also be a problem, and anything that says ‘flavour enhancer’- these are all things that don’t naturally belong in foods” says Burrell.
“I generally cook with fresh ingredients and I never eat from Asian food court cafes” says Ms Taylor.
“If I go to an Asian restaurant, I question the chef/cook as to what they put into the food. Most either add MSG in or it may already be in the sauces which they use to marinate the meat. If they do use it then I usually have to order an omelette made from scratch and boiled rice only. Even sushi may contain MSG in the mayonnaise or the prepared sauce which is used to marinate the meat.
“I also check every label of food in the supermarket before purchase. I have to usually avoid most prepared spice mixes whether Asian or otherwise, instant noodles and packet soups. I avoid corn chips and a lot of salty snack foods as they often have MSG. Corn chips particularly often have MSG.”
News.com.au conducted our own mini-test of MSG-laden products in the supermarket. In just ten minutes, we found twenty products on the shelves that contained preservative 621 – everything from CC’s to oyster sauce to two-minute-noodles.
“It’s definitely surprising the amount of MSG that’s still around” says Burrell.
“MSG is still found in many Asian restaurants, and it absolutely has been added back into foods since the 1990’s overhaul. Basically, unless it says ‘MSG free’ you can be sure that it’s got some kind of additive.”
In fact, as of May 2012, MSG doesn’t have to be declared in restaurant or takeaway food, nor are labels such as ‘No added MSG’ and ‘MSG free’ regulated.
The official word from the Food Standards Authority is that MSG is safe. It is not a banned substance in Australia, nor anywhere else in the world.
“MSG is one of the most extensively researched substances in the food supply and has been studied for more than forty years. Numerous international scientific assessments have been conducted, involving hundreds of studies. None of these have conclusively linked MSG to asthma or the infamous ‘Chinese Restaurant Syndrome’.
“Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) reviewed the safety of MSG in 2003, concluding ‘there is no convincing evidence that MSG is a significant factor in causing systemic reactions resulting in severe illness or mortality’. Even so, a very small number of people who are sensitive to a range of foods, especially those with asthma, may be sensitive to glutamate,” they say.
But in the case of Ms Taylor at least, she has “no other food sensitivities, and I do not have asthma. I am in good health, slim and am not on any medication.”
Even though MSG has been declared safe, avoiding it is a very real daily battle for her.
“It annoys me most when I have to cross-examine the chef or waiter when out at dinner. I would rather avoid that hassle, however it is necessary to avoid a bad physical reaction from the food.”
At a glance: 20 foods to watch out for
These are the products we found after spending ten minutes in the supermarket
Chicken Twisties
Cheese Twisties
Cheetos Cheese and Bacon Balls
Doritos Cheese Supreme
CC’s Nacho Cheese
Cheezles Original Cheese
Arnott’s Shapes Nacho Cheese
Smith’s Cheese and Onion chips
Smith’s Chicken chips
Smith’s Barbecue chips
Smith’s Salt and Vinegar chips
Homebrand BBQ flavoured rice crackers
Kraft Snackabouts cheese spread
Maggi chicken flavoured noodles
Maggi beef flavoured noodles
Fantastic Chicken and Corn noodles
Fantastic Chicken noodles
Suimin Chicken noodles
Soy sauce
Oyster sauce
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