The Truth in Labeling Campaign


MSG

What is Monosodium Glutamate?

What is MfG?

Excitotoxins

How is MSG Made?

Manufactured vs Natural Glutamic Acid

Where is MfG Hidden?

Ingredient Names Used to Hide MfG

E-Numbers

MfG in Agriculture

MfG in Cosmetics, Supplements and Drugs

Understanding MfG

Recognizing Adverse Reactions

Dose

Recipe-less Cookbook

Truth in Labeling Campaign> MSG

MSG

MSG

Monosodium glutamate was invented and patented in 1909, after Kikunae Ikeda observed that glutamic acid in sea weed gave seaweed its flavor-enhancing characteristics. Monosodium glutamate is composed of processed/manufactured free glutamic acid, the unwanted by-products of manufacture that accompany its production (impurities), sodium, and possibly moisture. Some years earlier, Ikeda had studied with German chemists Rittenhausen and Wolff – pure scientists trying to identify the chemical properties of the various protein substances. According to George Schwartz*, glutamic acid had been synthesized in 1890, and Ikeda learned the chemical techniques of identification and synthesis during an apprenticeship of several years. The products of the German chemists are the hydrolyzed proteins.
Basic to understanding MSG
"MSG" defined
Industry uses of the acronym “MSG” to stand for the flavor enhancer, “monosodium glutamate.”
Consumers adopted the acronym “MSG” to stand for toxic processed free glutamic acid – whether that processed free glutamic acid stands by itself (L-glutamic acid), or is a component of an ingredient such as soy protein isolate, maltodextrin, natural flavoring, or monosodium glutamate. Largely because those in the glutamate industry have built on the confusion caused by using “MSG” incorrectly, we thought it time that there be a proper acronym for consumers to use when talking about what’s contained in monosodium glutamate that causes their pain and suffering – distinguishing between the product called “monosodium glutamate” and the toxic ingredient contained in it. We propose to use MSG just as the Glutes do, to stand for the flavor enhancer, “monosodium glutamate,” but will now refer to the amino acid in monosodium glutamate that causes brain damage, endocrine disorders and adverse reactions, by its more factual name – Manufactured free Glutamate or MfG.
Distinguishing “Glutamate,” from “Monosodium Glutamate,” and “MfG”
What is monosodium glutamate?

What is MfG?

The toxic potential of MfG

How much MfG does it take to cause brain damage or an adverse reaction

What are excitotoxins?

Understanding production of MSG
How is MSG produced?

More on the subject of manufactured vs. Natural glutamic acid

Hiding MfG
In what kinds of foods is MfG hidden?

Ingredient names used to hide MfG

E-numbers

MfG in Agriculture

MfG in Cosmetics, supplements and Drugs

Recognizing MfG-induced adverse reactions

*George Schwartz. In Bad Taste: the MSG Syndrome, Santa Fe, Health Press, 1988.

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about MSG and manufactured free glutamate