Fermentation, according to wine aficionados, is “the magic at play in the making of wine.” Must (freshly cut fruit juice with skin and seeds) or juice will start fermenting on its own in half a day helped along with wild yeast. Winemakers, however, are very choosy about the strains of yeast used to produce any particular type of wine, and wine fermentation is an art – a “welcome phenomenon” helped along by vintners with skill and expertise.
MSG, on the other hand, is made using genetically modified bacteria that excrete glutamate through their cell walls. It’s been made that way by Ajinomoto since 1957.
No thinking person (and certainly no wine lover), would dare to compare the two. The FDA, however, is quite willing to put the yeast used in creating a carefully tended merlot or pinot noir in the same class as carefully selected genetically modified bacteria that excrete glutamic acid from their cell membranes. According to the FDA, “…MSG is produced by the fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses. This fermentation process is similar to that used to make yogurt, vinegar and wine.”
If you have questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you. If you have hints for others on how to avoid exposure to MfG, send them along, too, and we’ll put them up on Facebook. Or you can reach us at questionsaboutmsg@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @truthlabeling.
Robin,
I am sorry that the blog you read confused you. Many MSG-sensitive people find it helpful to know where MSG, even in the smallest amounts is hidden. That philosophy underlies much of what we do and share.
It is undisputed that there is great value in consumption of certain fermented foods. But it needs to be understood that not all fermentation is created equal. In the blog, “What does wine have in common with MSG?” we tried to expose the industry-circulated lie that MSG is produced by the fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses, a process that is similar to that used to make yogurt, vinegar and wine.
Winemakers are very choosy about the strains of yeast used to produce any particular type of wine, and wine fermentation is an art – a “welcome phenomenon” helped along by vintners with skill and expertise. MSG, on the other hand, is made using genetically modified bacteria that excrete glutamate through their cell walls. It’s been made that way by Ajinomoto since 1957. No thinking person (and certainly no wine lover), would dare compare the two.
I hear your frustration – “But now I read that it falls into the ‘you like me so I must be terrible for your brain and body’ category. Tell me, WHAT is left to eat for those of us who don’t own our own self-sustaining homestead farm???” – but I don’t know where in the blog that frustration might have come from. In the article, we didn’t talk about the manufactured free glutamate (MfG) in fermented foods.
Then you say, “I also only just learned my vegetables are being sprayed with MSG.” Are you thinking of glyphosate which is in Roundup? I’m not aware of MSG in roundup. I know that there is, or was, MSG used in the fertilizer Auxigro some years ago, but I have never heard that MSG was sprayed on growing produce. I’d love to know where you got that idea from so I can check it out and share it if it is true.
If there is something we can do to help you, please let me know. We have a Facebook page that some people use to exchange information. We have petitioned to FDA to take MSG off the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list. It would help all MSG-sensitive people if you would let the FDA know of your frustrations. This is how you comment on the petition saying whatever is on your mind: go here, https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FDA-2021-P-0035-0001 and then you’ll see a blue bar on the top left that says “comment.”
Sincerely,
Adrienne
P.S. MfG stands for Manufactured free glutamate. That’s the toxic ingredient in MSG, hydrolyzed proteins, autolyzed yeast, maltodextrin, etc.
Also, what is MfG or is this a typo? From your, http://truthinlabeling.org/blog/2020/10/15/what-does-wine-have-in-common-with-msg/ page.
“If you have questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you. If you have hints for others on how to avoid exposure to MfG, send them along, too, we’ll put them up on Facebook. You can also reach us at questionsaboutmsg@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter @truthlabeling.”
This “article” leaves more questions than it answer for the lay-person. It’s more a statement than an article. I had learned that truly fermented foods were GOOD for the digestive track (fermented soy, kimchi, kefir, etc.) and wine, when drunk with dinner, can help break down fat and help relax you. But now I read that it falls into the, “you like me so I must be terrible for your brain and body” category. Tell me, WHAT is left to eat for those of us who don’t own our own self-sustaining homestead farm??? I am 116 lbs. and wasting away because there’s almost nothing I can eat. I also only just learned my vegetables are being sprayed with MSG and even organic doesn’t really mean organic. (Crying emoji goes here.) I tried growing my own cruciferous vegetables last year and worms ate my crop.
Thank you very much for your in-depth response Adrienne. Yes, you are correct I was confused as I thought you were lumping wine in with MSG. Although I did just read (and lost the article/not in my bookmarks) that dairy, anything ultra-pastureized including milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. contains either MSG or a derivative of it ~ hence the confusion as you referred to yogurt in the same sentence as wine. (Although I should give up wine regardless. Sad emoji here.)
As for the MSG being sprayed on produce, this is the article dated 4-20-9 (which I assume is read April 9, 2020?) It could very well be copied from an old article…?