Forty years ago, a Chinese-American physician wrote to the New England Journal of Medicine, describing in a lighthearted tone how he had recently feasted at a Chinese restaurant, only to experience numbness, palpitations, and weakness afterward. He suspected the culprit was the chef's excessive use of "monosodium glutamate" in the dishes.
The Chinese name for monosodium glutamate is "MSG," and it has since become a public health enemy, widely despised. This flavor enhancer, which debuted in 1908 and became immensely popular in the 1950s, was overnight labeled a "toxin." The food and beverage industry was heavily impacted, with Chinese restaurants being the primary target; the various symptoms caused by MSG were simply dubbed the "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome."
However, to this day, the myth that MSG is harmful to health has never been medically conclusive. Two large-scale studies in 1987 and 1995, led respectively by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, showed that as long as it is not consumed in large quantities, MSG has no negative impact on human health. Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, stated unequivocally: "There is no clinical evidence that MSG is harmful to health."
On the other hand, MSG has never truly disappeared from American dinner tables. Instead, it has reappeared under names like "autolyzed yeast," "hydrolyzed soy protein," and "protein concentrate," continuing to be an essential ingredient in various seasonings, canned soups, cookies, and yogurt, working its magic.
Many restaurants and food manufacturers in other countries have long been staunch supporters of MSG. From Thailand's Sriracha chili sauce, Goya Sazon in Caribbean nations, Salsa Lizano in Costa Rica, and Marmite yeast paste in the UK, to Japan's Kewpie salad dressing, all contain monosodium glutamate, the main component of MSG. The "Maggi" brand of seasonings, which originated in Switzerland and is marketed globally, also has many products that contain monosodium glutamate.
The primary function of MSG lies in its ability to produce "umami." As an amino acid, when MSG is consumed, it stimulates the amino acid receptors on the taste buds of the tongue, allowing people to experience a delicious savory flavor. Our daily need for seasonings like salt and MSG is, to some extent, just a matter of taste habit, not a genuine physiological need. Moreover, the higher a person's blood pressure, the less sensitive their sense of taste, and the more they crave intense flavors, which can easily create a vicious cycle. To fundamentally control blood pressure, one should consume less salt and MSG.
When using MSG, special attention should be paid to temperature. Do not add MSG too early, because monosodium glutamate undergoes a chemical change into sodium pyroglutamate at temperatures above 120°C, which not only reduces the umami flavor but also has slight toxicity. Therefore, MSG is generally added just before the dish is finished. Additionally, MSG should not be used with alkali or baking soda to prevent the monosodium glutamate from disodium glutamate, thus losing its savory flavor. MSG consumption tips:
MSG is not suitable for strongly alkaline foods. The sodium in monosodium glutamate is highly reactive and easily undergoes chemical reactions with alkali to produce disodium glutamate, which has an unpleasant odor and loses its seasoning effect. Therefore, it is not advisable to add MSG to strongly alkaline dishes like kelp and squid.
MSG is not suitable for sour dishes. MSG does not dissolve easily in acidic environments; the higher the acidity, the lower the solubility, so adding MSG has no effect.
MSG should not be added directly to cold dishes. MSG can only fully dissolve at temperatures above 70°C. Since the temperature of cold dishes is low, adding MSG directly does not dissolve well. It is better to dissolve it in a small amount of warm water first, then pour it over the cold dish and mix it lightly for better results.
MSG should not be used in fillings. When MSG is added to fillings, whether steamed or boiled, it is subjected to continuous high temperatures, which causes it to denature and lose its seasoning effect.
MSG should not be used with ingredients that are already very savory. Such as mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, chicken, beef, fish and shrimp from rivers and seas, and especially fresh vegetables, because they have their own natural umami, and adding MSG can反而 impair the flavor.
Dishes for mothers within three months postpartum and infants should not contain excessive MSG. Because the monosodium glutamate in MSG enters the infant's body through breast milk or food, it specifically binds with zinc in the infant's blood to form zinc glutamate, which is not absorbed or utilized by the body and is excreted in urine, leading to zinc deficiency in infants.
Analyzing the Nutritional Differences Between MSG and Chicken Powder
Many consumers believe that MSG is a chemically synthesized substance that is not only nutritious but also harmful to health if consumed frequently. Chicken powder, on the other hand, is made from chicken as the main ingredient, is nutritious, and is safe. Therefore, we often see some people avoid MSG at all costs when cooking but feel they can add as much chicken powder as they want, whenever they want. In fact, there is no big difference between chicken powder and MSG.
Chicken powder contains 40% MSG
Although most chicken powder packages say "made from premium fat chickens" or "made from real premium chicken," it is not the natural seasoning made mainly from chicken, chicken bones, or their concentrated extracts as we might imagine. Its main ingredients are actually MSG (monosodium glutamate) and salt. MSG accounts for about 40% of the total components, and the rest is a composite of sugar, chicken or chicken bone powder, spices, inosinate, guanylate, chicken flavor essence, starch, and other substances.
The reason chicken powder tastes so savory is mainly due to the MSG in it. In addition, inosinate and guanylate are flavor enhancers that also have a seasoning effect, and when combined with monosodium glutamate, they can make the umami of chicken powder milder, the texture rounder and fuller, and the aroma richer. The realistic chicken flavor in chicken powder mainly comes from chicken and chicken bone powder, which are extracted from fresh chicken and bones. The use of chicken flavor essence can also enhance the "chicken flavor" of the powder; starch is used to make chicken powder granular or powdery.
Which is more nutritious, chicken powder or MSG? MSG is mainly extracted from grains like rice and corn or molasses using microbial fermentation. Its main component is monosodium glutamate, an amino acid and a major component of protein. Because the composition of chicken powder is more complex than MSG, it contains more comprehensive nutrients. In addition to monosodium glutamate, it also contains various vitamins and minerals.
MSG can supplement the human body with amino acids, which is beneficial for improving and maintaining brain function. Because it has a strong umami flavor, it can increase people's appetite. MSG helps improve the body's digestion rate of food. In addition, the main component of MSG, monosodium glutamate, also has therapeutic effects on chronic hepatitis, hepatic coma, neurasthenia, epilepsy, and lack of gastric acid.
Chicken powder is produced from a combination of chicken and eggs, having both the umami and aroma of chicken. Its chemical composition is a combination of nucleotides and monosodium glutamate, with excellent umami, achieving a two-in-one flavor enhancement. Its umami is 1.5 to 2 times that of MSG, making it a healthier food with higher nutritional value. Chicken powder also has advantages such as being heat-resistant, not mixing flavors, and not leaving a dry aftertaste, which other seasonings cannot match. However, no matter how nutritious chicken powder is, it is still just a seasoning and cannot be compared to chicken itself. Surveys have found that the protein content varies among different brands of chicken powder on the market, which is mainly related to their chicken or chicken bone powder content.
The Safety of Chicken Powder is Similar to MSG
Many people are afraid to eat MSG, mainly because they worry it will produce certain carcinogens. However, the Food Additives Expert Committee of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization believes that under normal circumstances, MSG is completely safe for consumption, as long as it is not heated above 120°C, otherwise the monosodium glutamate will dehydrate into sodium pyroglutamate, which is a carcinogen. Since chicken powder also contains a certain amount of monosodium glutamate, its safety is similar to that of MSG, and it should also be noted not to heat it at high temperatures for a long time.
In addition, because chicken powder itself contains about ten percent salt, if you use chicken powder for cooking or making soup, you must reduce the amount of salt. Chicken powder also contains nucleotides, and the metabolic product of nucleotides is uric acid, so people with gout should eat less of it.