Food Additive Like Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Can Help Reduce Sodium Intake [Report]

FDA is considering using flavor enhancers and food additives to reduce the use of salt. A new report claims that it's like monosodium glutamate (MSG) is getting its revenge.

Monosodium Glutamate As Salt Substitute

According to The Atlantic, the much-maligned seasoning - monosodium glutamate - is seemingly taking its revenge because the FDA is considering using salt substitutes to reduce their sodium intake, which is a candidate. The outlet noted that people's salt consumption is twice what is recommended.

World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning about too much salt consumption, and it is making a move to save the lives of 7 million people from too much sodium intake.

Salt consumption has been a problem for public health in the United States for more than 50 years. Still, little has changed regarding policy or appetite, even though several projects have been initiated to address the problem. The main reason salt has continued to be an issue is that it makes everything palatable and makes up a large portion of all processed food. It would take a convincing ruse to get Americans to cut back on their consumption-something that would minimize dangerous sodium without compromising the taste of meals.

While there is no perfect substitute for salt, MSG is one of the best candidates, according to The Atlantic. One of the most popular MSG brands is Ajinomoto.

The FDA announced last month its plan to allow salt substitutes to reduce sodium in standardized foods. The changes in standards of identity (SOIs) will allow the use of food additives in food where sodium is required or optional.

Typically, SOIs list the mandatory and optional elements that must be present in a dish. They might talk about the quantity or ratio of the substances or parts. Additionally, certain SOIs specify a manufacturing or formulation process. There are more than 250 SOIs, including ketchup, milk, milk chocolate, several types of bread, and different cheeses. Standardized foods are frequently used to describe foods with SOIs.

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Is MSG Safe?

MSG has earned a bad reputation in the food industry. It has been linked to ailments - headaches, numbness, dizziness, and heart palpitations - in the 1960s. However, FDA considers the use of MSG in foods as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS).

Despite the reports that some individuals were sensitive to MSG, studies with such individuals revealed no consistent trigger reactions.

FDA noted that glutamate or glutamic has nothing to do with gluten. A person with Celiac disease may react to wheat in soy sauce but not the MSG in the product.

FDA received reports of headache and nausea following consumption of MSG-containing meals. However, the food agency could never conclusively prove that MSG was responsible for those conditions.

In the 1990s, the FDA was prompted by these adverse event reports to request that the independent scientific organization Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) investigate the safety of MSG. According to the FASEB assessment, MSG is safe. FASEB research noted that certain sensitive people who eat 3 grams or more of MSG without food might experience brief, temporary, and mainly moderate symptoms like headache, numbness, flushing, tingling, palpitations, and sleepiness. However, less than 0.5 grams of MSG are present in a normal serving of food, which is unlikely to trigger such reactions.