Here's how they hide MSG

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Each of the following tactics for hiding MSG in food is deceptive, misleading, and officially not allowed by the FDA.

Some use "clean labels." Industry calls labels of products that contain MSG, but don't give the consumer a clue to its presence, "clean labels." Using hydrolyzed protein products has been very popular. Here's how Royal DSM uses a range of granulated protein hydrolysates to offer a clean label alternative.

Campbell's Soup has a number of different approaches. Most recently we noted that while they advertised that "Campbell will clearly list MSG in the ingredient statement when it is added to any Campbell product" (http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/faq_list.asp#q6), they brought out the following:

"Introducing new Campbell's® Select Harvest™ soups,
made with delicious ingredients like farm-grown vegetables, wholesome grains and 100% natural white meat chicken
— with no artificial flavors or MSG*.... "
* Except for the small amount naturally occurring in yeast extract."

(http://www.campbellsoup.com/select.aspx)

The Back to the Country Store was using a number of MSG-containing ingredients when we came across their ad on the Internet. Autolyzed yeast, for example, always contains MSG, and Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate are relatively expensive ingredients that industry uses for their synergistic effect with MSG. (http://backtothecountrystore.com/cgi-local/shopper.cgi?search=action&category=NMSG&keywords=all)

Minor's sells soup bases to restaurants among others. Their sales pitch is " no added MSG." Just take a look at the myriad of ingredients that contain MSG. And there's the disodium inosinate/disodium guanylate, too (http://www.soupbase.com/view.asp?cid=2370).

Ingredients: Chicken meat and natural chicken juices, salt, chicken fat, sugar, hydrolyzed (corn and wheat gluten, soy) proteinS, dried whey, maltodextrin, yeast extract, natural flavoring, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oil, corn oil, disodium inosinate/disodium guanylate, and natural extractives of turmeric and annatto.

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This page was last updated on October 13, 2008.

IF MSG ISN'T HARMFUL, WHY IS IT HIDDEN?