Uploaded October 2024 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an additive commonly used in many processed foods, including canned soups, sauces, and condiments. It gives a lot of foods their umami flavor, the savory character found naturally in many foods. MSG is also one of the more controversial additives used in food. But is that controversy warranted?
References
1. Is MSG actually bad for you? (2022). Cleveland Clinic: Health Essentials. Retrieved from health.clevelandclinic.org/is-msg-really-harmful
2. Zeratsky, K. (2022). What is MSG? Is it bad for you? Mayo mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/monosodium-glutamate/faq
3. Dixon, F. (2022). Sustainable food production & diet. Kitsap Publishing.
4. U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Food safety: FDA should strengthen its oversight of food ingredients determined to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS). February 3, 2010. gao.gov/products/gao-10-246
5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Brominated vegetable oil (BVO). Accessed June 17, 2024. fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/brominated-vegetable-oil-bvo
6. Crezo A. BVO: why the FDA might finally ban brominated vegetable oil. Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). December 14, 2023.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an additive commonly used in many processed foods, including canned soups, sauces, and condiments. It gives a lot of foods their umami flavor, the savory character found naturally in many foods. MSG is also one of the more controversial additives used in food. But is that controversy warranted?
References
1. Is MSG actually bad for you? (2022). Cleveland Clinic: Health Essentials. Retrieved from health.clevelandclinic.org/is-msg-really-harmful
2. Zeratsky, K. (2022). What is MSG? Is it bad for you? Mayo mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/monosodium-glutamate/faq
3. Dixon, F. (2022). Sustainable food production & diet. Kitsap Publishing.
4. U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Food safety: FDA should strengthen its oversight of food ingredients determined to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS). February 3, 2010. gao.gov/products/gao-10-246
5. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Brominated vegetable oil (BVO). Accessed June 17, 2024. fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/brominated-vegetable-oil-bvo
6. Crezo A. BVO: why the FDA might finally ban brominated vegetable oil. Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). December 14, 2023.
