So the latest news from the New York Times is that MSG ain't really so bad for you after all. The Guardian came up with the same idea two years ago. They put forth a good argument. MSG is a synthetic form of the the amino acid glutamate. It was first commercialized by the Ajinomoto* Corporation in Japan in 1909.
According to these articles, glutamate is naturally found in many foods, most notably Parmesan cheese and tomatoes, which are often used to season dishes. Traditionally, glutamate was added to foods in Japan by boiling kombu seaweed to produce a broth. Apart from the naturally occuring glutamates, the synthetic monosodium glutamate is added to all kinds of things, under all sorts of names, including monopotassium glutamate, glutavene, glutacyl, glutamic acid, autolyzed yeast extract, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, E621 (E620-625 are all glutamates)**, Ajinomoto, Ac'cent, and Gourmet Powder.
Apparently, the MSG myth has been debunked; there is no evidence to support that people are sensitive or have health effects to it. The authors of these articles suggest that MSG is in a lot more than Chinese foods and people are eating it all the time. I disagree, as I have been aware of many of its names and avoid eating it in anything. Not so hard, since I avoid eating those foods - soup mix, Worchestershire sauce, Doritos - for so many reasons.
My argument is this: there is a difference between the naturally occuring and synthetic forms of any chemical. MSG is not identical to what you get when you boil seaweed. So it makes sense that people will react differently to the two substances. For example, I like corn (the vegetable). Corn the vegetable tastes good and feels good. I also like fruit, which naturally contains a sugar called fructose. Corn syrup and processed corn in all it's ubiquitous glory does not agree with me so well. I can tell immediately if I've accidentally eaten something with corn syrup, especially high fructose corn syrup. Once you start messing with things in the lab, they are different, and our bodies react differently to them. (I could go on at length about the biochemistry behind behind synthetic corn syrup metabolism, but I'll spare you unless you really want to know.) Moreover, MSG is manufactured from starch, which in today's world pretty much always come from processing corn. In the end, I'm not convinced yet that synthetic MSG, or fructose, are just like what is found in real food, and I'm still not gonna eat it.
There's just one problem. The Guardian article singles out the "yeast extract" in Marmite as MSG. I thought it came from the sludge left behind after brewing beer, and according to the Wikipedia entry for Marmite this is true. If it really is MSG, it would be the only form of synthetic MSG I've willingly consumed, and I haven't noticed any serious aftereffects. I don't eat it often, but it's a food I hold in high regard - a vegan source of vitamin B12!!. (Yes, I am on the pro side of the Marmite debate. I don't believe it is a weapon sent to destroy society, as some people I know do.) So what to do? I'm going to have to get me a new jar and test it out, or else do a little research on the Marmite company. I hope they don't let me down!
*This explains why, after months of trying figure out how to ask for food without MSG in the many mediocre Chinese and Thai restaurants in India, I finally discovered it was referred to as Ajinomoto. This didn't sound very Hindi to me, but now I know why.
**Another mystery of India explained. These E### additives were in so many packaged foods in India that I refused to buy. It was described as an "approved food additive," which is true but sneaky. In a place with so many problems of food adulteration with unapproved additives, I guess this is important to know.
3 comments:
Umm... If you are trying to refer to my objection to Marmite, you have incorrectly stated my opinion of the substance. I don't think it is a weapon to destroy society but instead a good example of the dark sense of humor of the British. They are willing to eat the vile substance even though it's awful because they think it's funny to try to convince others how good it is. Sadly, some Canadians have begun pretending they like it too, insecure about their tastes, fearing judgment from the British, and becoming a tragic part of this disgusting cycle.
Umm... I'm not sure that the consumption of Marmite by Canadians is a postcolonial behaviour as you suggest. Rather, I think it is a healthy adoption of the good aspects of a once-dominant culture while rejecting those things (e.g. fox hunting and polo)that no longer suit our needs.
Ummm... still gross. Nestle's take on the matter.
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