The extensive body of research which exists about monosodium glutamate has been reviewed by scientists and regulatory authorities around the world — all have found MSG to be safe.
For more than 100 years, monosodium glutamate (MSG) has been used safely and effectively to season food. A great deal of scientific research has been undertaken into the role of MSG, its benefits and its safety.
Monosodium Glutamate Safety is Well Documented
This section provides the abstracts of the major scientific studies which support the safety and benefits of glutamate, including monosodium glutamate, and its role in umami taste perception and in food. New scientific studies are added to this Scientific Library as they are published. More information about the safety of monosodium glutamate is provided in the MSG Safety Fact Sheet. Also, read Myths versus Facts about MSG Side Effects.
2018 Dietary Glutamate Workshop Addresses Current Research Related to Glutamate Metabolism and Safety
Abstract: “The 2018 Dietary Glutamate Workshop was organized and sponsored by the International Glutamate Technical Committee to provide a platform for a broad expert discussion on all relevant aspects of glutamate metabolism and safety in human nutrition. The participants reached a consensus with previous safety evaluations conducted by the global expert bodies, but contradicted the 2017 re-evaluation of dietary glutamates by the European Food Safety Authority, which proposed a group acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 30 mg/kg body weight per day. The participants of the Workshop concluded that the present knowledge on metabolism, kinetics, developmental and general toxicity of dietary glutamates did not warrant a change in the previous ADI of ‘not specified’.” (study conclusion is below, Cynober et al.)
Health Impacts and Sensitivity Scientific Review Dismisses Link between Glutamate and Asthma, Headaches and “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”
This comprehensive review paper (abstract is below, Jinap et al.) analyses the role of glutamate and its benefits. It explains that glutamate has many functions, including in promoting better nutrition in older people and in patients at risk of under-nutrition. In addition, the review confirms that glutamate works well in reduced-sodium and reduced-fat dishes, reducing the total amount of sodium by 30-40% without reducing palatability. The review concludes that despite allegations which associate glutamate with asthma, migraine headache and Chinese Restaurant Syndrome (CRS), there is no science to support this claim. It also states that there is no consistent evidence to suggest that individuals may be uniquely sensitive to glutamate.
Glutamate. Its applications in food and contribution to health.
S.Jinap and P. Hajeb
Appetite (2010), doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2010.05.002
This article reviews the application of glutamate in food and its benefits and role as one of the common food ingredients used. Monosodium glutamate is one of the most abundant naturally occurring amino acids which is frequently added as a flavour enhancer. It produces a unique taste, that cannot be provided by other basic tastes (saltiness, sourness, sweetness and bitterness), referred to as a fifth taste (umami). Glutamate serves some functions in the body as well, serving as an energy source for certain tissues and as a substrate for glutathione synthesis. Glutamate has the potential to enhance food intake in older individuals and dietary free glutamate evokes a visceral sensation from the stomach, intestine and portal vein. Small quantities of glutamate used in combination with a reduced amount of table salt during food preparation allow for far less salt to be used during and after cooking. Because glutamate is one of the most intensely studied food ingredients in the food supply and has been found safe, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization placed it in the safest category for food additives. Despite a widespread belief that glutamate can elicit asthma, migraine h