MSG, MSG boosters, flavour enhancers and natural glutamates
Fed Up: MSG is one of the most widely used additives in the world but most consumers can't recognise glutamate-containing foods and don't know when they or their children are affected.
Adverse effects have been associated with the free glutamates in MSG since it was introduced into Western food in 1948. At first identified as Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, symptoms included burning, numbness, facial pressure, chest pain and headaches. Since then many other reactions have been reported including migraines, diarrhoea, nausea, stomach cramps, asthma, insomnia, depression, heart palpitations, ventricular fibrillation, AF (atrial fibrillation), children's behaviour and attention problems, and many more.
In the mid nineties, three more flavour enhancers called ribonucleotides (627, 631, and 635 which is a combination of 627 and 631) started appearing on supermarket shelves after scientists realised that these chemicals could boost the flavour enhancing effect of MSG up to 15 times.
Unfortunately, these MSG boosters also seem to boost adverse reactions to MSG. These additives were not tested for their effects on consumers before release, and food additive effects are not monitored by food regulators. The Food Intolerance Network Database (FIND) has received numerous reports of reactions to these additives from people who had previously never noticed reactions to MSG. As well as the usual MSG reactions, maddeningly itchy rashes called Ribo Rash are often reported. [read more]
