Oh yeah, and MSG is in every Japanese person's kitchen, and is used in just about everything. Along with being called "umami", it's also called "ajinomoto" (lit. The source of taste), which was the name of the company established in 1909 to distribute it overseas. The company Ajinomoto is now one of the world powers in the food distribution industry, and has come under fire for suppressing information about adverse effects of MSG (which I disagree with; see below for details).
Labelling practices can make it difficult to discern whether a product contains MSG, because of the alternate terms used to refer to (re: hide) it.
From a co-op website:
Quote:
Food label names that always contain some MSG:
monosodium glutamate hydrolyzed protein
monopotassium glutamate textured protein
glutamate hydrolyzed oat flour
glutamic acid yeast nutrient
gelatin autolyzed yeast
calcium caseinate yeast extract
sodium caseinate yeast food
Accent Glutavene
Ajinomoto (in Oriental foods)
Food label names that often contain MSG, or create MSG during processing:
malt extract carrageenan
malt flavoring bouillon
barley malt broth
maltodextrin stock
whey protein natural beef flavoring
protein isolate natural chicken flavoring
protein concentrate natural pork flavoring
protein fortified flavoring
pectin natural flavoring
protease enzymes seasoning
enzymes soy sauce
protease sauce extract
enzyme modified fermented
ultrapasteurized
So if you're trying to avoid MSG, check labels carefully! For example, most canned tuna sold in grocery stores contains MSG.
Personally, I believe MSG is safe, as does the FDA.
Rigorous scientific research shows that there is no link between headaches and MSG, asthma and MSG, or allergies and MSG (MSG is not an allergen).
Anecdotal (re: folklore) evidence is plentiful, as always.
Here's some FAQ's about MSG:
MSG FAQ's
High praise from chef!
