Monosodium glutamate, sodium glutamate, flavour enhancer 621, EU food additive code: E621, HS code: 29224220 (IUPAC name 2-aminopentanedioic acid. Also known as 2-aminoglutaric acid), commonly known as MSG, Ajinomoto, Vetsin, or Accent, is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is a food additive and it is commonly marketed as a "flavour enhancer".Although traditional Asian cuisine uses flavour-enhancing ingredients which contain high concentrations of MSG, it was not isolated until 1907. MSG was subsequently patented by the Japanese Ajinomoto Corporation in 1909. In its pure form, it appears as a white crystalline powder; when dissolved in water (or saliva) it rapidly dissociates into sodium cations and glutamate anions (glutamate is the anionic form of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid).

A silent killer that's worse than alcohol, nicotine, and drugs is likely lurking in your kitchen cabinets and even your child's school cafeteria. It's monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer that's known widely as an addition to Chinese food, but that's actually added to thousands of the foods you eat. Everything from soup to crackers to meat

"You may think that you are actually avoiding MSG if you avoid Chinese restaurants, but this factory created flavor enhancer is in almost every bottled, bagged, frozen, or canned processed food on super market shelves. But since MSG is often a component of a formulation, it is not labeled as such."

Ever leave a Chinese food restaurant and find yourself hungry only minutes after departing? In 1969, Dr. John W. Olney found his lab rats became grotesquely obese when fed MSG. Scientists speculate that MSG affects the arcuate nucleus area of the brain and so prevents proper functioning of the body’s appetite control mechanisms.

I love Chinese food, don't you? All sorts of secret ingredients, spices and a little MSG to add some kick. Why do you think Chinese take-out gets better after it sits in the fridge for a couple of days? Hey, have you seen my dog Lucky around? He's gone missing - wear this t-shirt and help spread the word.

MSG is the acronym for Monosodium Glutamate, which is a type of food additive that is used in Asian cooking to enhance the flavor. Although most often used in Chinese food, it is used throughout most other Asian cultures. For people with an MSG allergy, the symptoms could range from mild to serious. Typically, if a person has sensitivity to MSG...