A Must Read!

The Perfect Poison is now available at Amazon.com. See links to buy below.

The Perfect Poison is a tell-all about the toxic effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and the U.S. regulatory agency that has successfully suppressed that information for over 50 years.  

But more than a myth-shattering book, The Perfect Poison provides readers with the tools needed to deal with reactions to excitotoxic manufactured free glutamate found in processed and ultra-processed food, or better yet, to avoid it altogether.   

The Perfect Poison also offers an introduction to the thought-provoking hypothesis that excitotoxic manufactured free glutamate, ingested on a daily basis, plays a significant role in the many abnormalities with which glutamate toxicity is associated. 

Available in print and e-book format at Amazon.com

Coming soon

The “tell-all” about the toxic effects of monosodium glutamate and the U.S. regulatory agency that has been successfully suppressing that information for over 50 years.

How to guarantee you get the ‘right’ results

Designing studies guaranteed to produce the negative results their authors demand of them is an art form perfected by the manufacturers of monosodium glutamate in the late 1990s.

Having incorporated The Glutamate Association to promote their product, and the International Glutamate Technical Committee to design and implement research which they would claim demonstrates the safety of MSG, they found medical journals to publish their studies, print, internet, and TV sources to carry their interpretations of research results, effectively suppressed any mention that MSG might be toxic, and conspired with the FDA to vouch for the safety of their product.

“Industry’s FDA” elaborates their methods, detailing how they’ve accomplished their mission.  The use of excitotoxic (brain damaging) free glutamate in placebos used in their double-blind studies guaranteed the negative results they were looking for in case the rest of their methodology fell short of the goal.

“Industry’s FDA:”  https://www.truthinlabeling.org/assets/industrys_fda_final.pdf

Who is up to the challenge?

Wanted. One savvy person to orchestrate the removal of monosodium glutamate from the FDA’s GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list.

Article Nine of the Bill of Rights refers to the rights retained by the people — and that it is the right of the people to know everything going on in the government.  It is therefore unlawful for the FDA to fail to respond to a Freedom of Information request for copies of data used in granting GRAS status to free glutamic acid used in food.

It seems reasonable to conclude that in order to fill that request, the FDA would have to admit that 1) there are no data that demonstrate that free glutamate can be safely used in food, and 2) the only studies that claim to have demonstrated the safety of free glutamate have been double-blind studies that used excitotoxic aspartic acid (in aspartame) in placebos.

Both aspartic acid (found in aspartame) and glutamic acid (found in MSG) cause brain damage and identical adverse reactions.

Something to think about: Industry’s FDA

Article Nine of the Bill of Rights refers to the rights retained by the people — and that it is the right of the people to know everything going on in the government.  It is therefore unlawful for the FDA to fail to respond to a Freedom of Information request for copies of data used by the FDA for determining to give GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status to free glutamic acid used in food.

It seems reasonable to conclude that in filling the request for data, the FDA would have to admit that 1) there are no data that demonstrate that free glutamate can be safely used in food, and 2) that the only studies that claim to have demonstrated the safety of free glutamate have been double-blind studies where excitotoxic aspartic acid (in aspartame) has been used in placebos.

Aspartic acid (in aspartame) and glutamic acid (in MSG) both cause brain damage and identical adverse reactions.

Warnings the FDA isn’t sharing

In 1992, a study done by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) on the safety of amino acids in dietary supplements warned about the use of manufactured free glutamate (MfG) in supplements.

That information was never shared with the public.

As early as 1990, the FDA became aware that MfG produced through acid hydrolysis of proteins contains carcinogenic mono and dichloro propanols that contribute to the development of cancer.

That information was never shared with the public.

Since 1990, the FDA has been thinking about sharing it.

Waiting on the FDA, an exercise in futility

Are you still waiting for the FDA to remove MSG and MfG — manufactured free glutamate — from the FDA’s GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list?  So are we.  But it won’t happen.  The FDA is on record as not doing anything that the Glutes don’t want them to do.  So the chances that the FDA will ever respond to Citizen Petition FDA-2021-P-0035 are next to none.

There is a great deal of evidence that attests to the fact that MSG and its MfG component cause brain damage as well as adverse reactions like heart irregularities, asthma, and seizures.  And there is absolutely no evidence that either MSG or MfG is harmless.

It’s all there for you to read on the pages of The Truth In Labeling Campaign Website (www.truthinlabeling.org).  But to save you time here are a number of resources for easy access.

  • Review of animal studies done in the 1970s that have demonstrated the toxicity of MSG and MfG: evidence that the glutamate in MSG and other flavor enhancers and protein substitutes becomes excitotoxic – brain damaging – when present in amounts that exceed what a healthy subject needs for normal body function: https://www.truthinlabeling.org/assets/seven_lines/Seven_Lines_Lines2.pdf

FDA violates its own rules in calling MSG ‘safe’

BY FDA REGULATIONS: According to Sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and FDA regulations 21 CFR 170.3 and 21 CFR 170.30, the use of a food substance may be GRAS (generally recognized as safe) either through scientific procedures or, for a substance used in food before 1958, through experience based on common use in food.

In short, to be designated FDA GRAS an ingredient must be tested for safety using scientific procedures (with the same evidence as required for food additive approval), unless it is known to be safe through common use in food prior to January 1958.

FACT: Neither the monosodium glutamate in use prior to 1957 (MSG-1) nor the monosodium glutamate in use today (MSG-2) has ever been tested for safety.

FACT: The monosodium glutamate in use today (MSG-2) is not the same monosodium glutamate that was grandfathered GRAS in 1958 (MSG-1), yet the FDA seems not to have noticed.

FACT: Glutamic acid is an excitotoxic amino acid. When ingested in controlled quantities, glutamic acid is essential to normal function of the body. But when ingested in excess, it causes brain damage, leading to a variety of abnormalities. Prior to 1957, when MSG-1 was the source of monosodium glutamate, there was not enough manufactured free glutamate added to food to cause glutamate to become excitotoxic. That changed with the introduction of MSG-2.

FACT: MSG-2, the monosodium glutamate in use today, could not have been grandfathered GRAS in 1958 because it didn’t exist.

CONCLUSION: To be designated FDA GRAS, an ingredient has to be tested for safety using scientific procedures – unless it was known to be safe through experience based on common use in food prior to January 1958. MSG-2, the monosodium glutamate in use today was neither.

For more details, and to read the FDA rules as they appear in the Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations go here.

Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D.

Have your say!

FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf sits in front of a teleprompter on Feb. 23 holding his first virtual meeting with FDA employees.

FDA Commissioner Califf is looking for suggestions for staffing.  The Truth in Labeling Campaign tweeted that he should start by hiring someone who will oversee removing toxic chemicals from food.  Someone who doesn’t work for Big Food or Big Pharma.  Someone who will really do something.

Commissioner Califf’s twitter address is @DrCaliff_FDA.

Drop him a tweet to inspire the FDA to do something that will benefit consumers.  It’s @DrCaliff_FDA.

FDA turns a blind eye to policing ‘No MSG’ labeling

A group of California attorneys have filed a trio of lawsuits to try to stop food manufacturers from deceiving consumers with fraudulent “No MSG” claims on food products that contain free glutamates.

The first complaint was filed against Campbell’s in January in an action the lawyers hope will eventually represent millions of consumers across the U.S. who purchased Campbell’s brand Swanson broth products with “false and misleading ‘NO MSG ADDED’ claims.”

That was followed by two more class action complaints against Nissin Foods U.S.A. for its “No added MSG” noodle products, and Del Monte Foods for its “No MSG,” claim that prominently appears on College Inn broths.

The FDA rule regarding such “misbranding” is relatively simple – if you market a food product containing free glutamate in any form, you can’t say it contains “No MSG” or “No added MSG.”

Names of ingredients in addition to MSG that contain MfG (manufactured free glutamate) include hydrolyzed proteins, yeast extract, whey protein and dozens of others. And all those MfG-containing ingredients can trigger what consumers commonly call “MSG reactions.”

Years ago, a group of states sued companies that misbranded products this way — and won. At about that time, the FDA sent out a warning letter to a company not targeted by the state actions, but even that was surprising since the FDA has been denying the toxic effects of MSG since 1968 when then FDA commissioner Herbert L. Ley Jr. was speaking out on the safety of MSG.

Considering how many manufacturers do this (see our list at the end of the products we’ve found), it appears that Big Food has no fear the FDA will begin to enforce the law. 

Label laundering

Last year we investigated several of these brands, including College Inn, calling the company to ask about its “No MSG” claim when its products clearly contained MfG from numerous sources.

The College Inn customer service representative told us that the company had a “campaign” to remove MSG from its products over 15 years ago when they were reformulated. “MSG can’t be hidden or called something else,” we were told.

That’s true.  The ingredient called monosodium glutamate, a.k.a. MSG can’t be hidden.  But the law says that since consumers frequently use the term MSG to mean all free glutamate, saying your product has “No MSG” or “No added MSG” when it contains free glutamate is considered “false and misleading,” and in violation of the Federal Food Drug & Cosmetic Act. 

So, College Inn is breaking the law – one that the FDA refuses to enforce.

Attorney Jonas Jacobson, from the firm of Dovel & Luner in Santa Monica, California, who represents the plaintiffs in the three lawsuits hopes that they will soon be certified as class action complaints. Jacobson commented that “this labeling practice is misleading to consumers and is prohibited by consumer protection laws.  Yet a number of companies are still putting ‘No MSG’ claims on products that have added free glutamates.  We filed these cases to stop this practice…”

This practice, however, is so widespread that when you see “No MSG,” or “No added MSG” on a product it’s almost a given that it will contain sources of MfG. And that’s no simple labeling error.

Products we’ve noticed that state “No MSG,” “No MSG added,” or “No Added MSG” that contain free glutamates

Note: This list is by no means complete.

Campbell’s Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle

Despite pledging “No MSG added” Campbell’s filled up its Chunky Classic Noodle with wheat protein isolate, yeast extract, soy protein concentrate, vegetable broth (which can contain numerous unnamed sources of MfG), and two tell-tale ingredients: disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate, which work synergistically with MSG to enhance flavor. If those two expensive ingredients are added for flavoring, so is inexpensive MSG.

Progresso New England Clam Chowder

Progresso adds its “NO MSG ADDED” pledge right above the serving instructions to make sure it’s noticed. But if you turn the can a bit to the right, you’ll see that this soup contains at least two sources of MfG – soy protein concentrate, and yeast extract, along with natural flavors. Over a decade ago Campbell’s and Progresso duked it out over which soup brand used less MSG, spending a fortune on advertising bashing each other.

Minors Soup Bases (Owned by Nestle)

These “No added MSG” products are especially devious as they are used by restaurants as a base mix for “homemade” soups, sauces and gravies. Since they are falsely advertised as “No MSG” products, asking your server or the chef about MSG or free glutamates in a restaurant that uses Minors soup bases is useless.

All of the Minors products we looked at contained some form of MfG. For example, the low sodium vegetable base contains autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed corn protein, natural flavors and disodium guanylate and inosinate. The mushroom base contains hydrolyzed corn and soy proteins and natural flavors along with disodium guanylate and inosinate.

Newman’s Own ranch dressing

So what’s up with Newman’s and its “No MSG” claims on ranch dressing? Years ago The Truth in Labeling Campaign contacted the company about its “No MSG” ranch dressing. We were told in an email that only a small amount of “free glutamate” was found after a laboratory analysis. Then, they removed the claim. But now we see it’s back.

The ingredient of concern is “natural flavor,” which is basically a free FDA pass to add MfG to a product. We just sent Newman’s Own another email asking if the product has been tested (again) for free glutamates, and if so, what the results were. If we hear back we’ll post it here.

Imagine potato leek soup

Don’t automatically assume that organic products are “pure” or “safe.” Imagine Foods organic potato leek soup makes a “commitment” of stating “no added MSG” on its label, but also is committed to adding those “natural flavors.” While monosodium glutamate is technically not allowed in organic food, there’s nothing prohibiting the addition of any number of additives containing the same free glutamic acid found in MSG — what causes identical “MSG reactions” in people.


Nissin noodle products

Nissin, which is one of the companies named in the current lawsuits, is such a big fan of saying “NO ADDED MSG” that it plasters that statement not only in a big, bold circle on its packaging, but also on the shipping cartons. The product we purchased, Firewok, contains seven sources of free glutamates plus disodium guanylate and inosinate.

Knorr products

Knorr, which sells a variety of gravy and sauce packets along with “pasta sides” is perhaps the number one Big Food fan of fraudulently stating “No added MSG,” yet filling their products full of hydrolyzed proteins, yeast extract and natural flavors. Some of the Knorr packaging states that the no MSG claim is “Our Promise.” Last year we asked a Knorr customer service representative about this deceptive labeling and was told that MSG is the subject of “additional studies… by health officials” and that MSG isn’t used in any Knorr products.

McCormick flavor packets

McCormick is another company that loves to state “No MSG added” on products that contain numerous sources of MfG. We selected chicken gravy, beef stew and au jus gravy, which contained hydrolyzed corn gluten, soy protein and yeast extract. The chicken gravy also had natural flavor and disodium guanylate and inosinate, said on the product label to be included as “flavor enhancers.”

It’s obvious that consuming processed foods is a crap shoot when it comes to avoiding MfG. And relying on advertising claims of “No MSG” or “No added MSG” to make purchasing decisions will decidedly turn the odds against you.

We’ll try to keep you updated on the status of the ongoing litigation. If any are certified as class actions, depending on the state you live in, you may want to join in as a plaintiff. And if you feel you’ve been deceived by purchasing a product based on “No added MSG” claims, you may be able to find an attorney to start your own lawsuit. Since the FDA won’t enforce this rule, it looks like it’s up to consumers to take action.