Food additives are often a source of controversy and there is a wide spectrum of opinion about their safety. While food additives don't cause an allergic reaction involving the immune system, many people find they have adverse reactions which can be severe. Often, people dealing with allergies, either their own or a family member's, are quite interested in the impact of food additives. Basically, I would like to present a variety of web-based information on this topic. In part 1, I'd like to take a look at a very common food additive - MSG.
According to the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), a part of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), MSG is actually one of several chemicals known as glutamates. In the human body, glutamates act as nerve impulse transmitters in the brain and other glutamate-responsive tissues. The CFSAN states that "MSG and related substances are safe food ingredients for most people when eaten at customary levels." The CFSAN further explains that MSG is a sodium salt of the amino acid known as glutamic acid. It is manufactured by a fermenting process using starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses. Hydrolyzed proteins are also glutamates. They are acid-treated or enzyme-treated proteins and contain salts of free amino acids such as glutamate. Hydrolyzed proteins are frequently added to processed foods. Glutamates also occur naturally in foods; however, MSG (glutamate) reactions are usually due to processed, "free" glutamates.
In 1995, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) concurred with the FDA's belief that MSG is generally safe. The FASEB report said that an "unknown percentage of the population may react to MSG and develop MSG complex." Some of the symptoms listed are:
- numbness
- tingling
- headache
- nausea
- rapid heartbeat
- difficulty breathing
More information about MSG and the FASEB report can be found at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/msg.html
The Glutamate Association is comprised of "manufacturers, national marketers, and processed food users" of glutamic acid and its salts. They support "the use of MSG as a safe and extremely effective flavor enhancer." Many more details are available on their web site at http://www.msgfacts.com
The NoMSG organization feels that perhaps 25% of the population may be sensitive to MSG. Some possible reactions (which are listed on their site) include:
- headaches
- migraines
- stomach upset
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- asthma attacks
- heart palpitations
- mental confusion
- mood swings
- behavioral disorders (especially in children and teens)
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