MSG is a popular food enhancer that is responsible for giving food an umami flavor- one of the five tastes humans have. MSG was is found in many foods found in nature like meat, cheese, and vegetables. MSG is has been used in some processed foods and in popular chain restaurants like KFC. But for some people MSG can cause allergy like symptoms. For many years Asian food, specifically Chinese food in America has been blamed for the MSG intolerance some individuals experience. However, when looking deeper at the history of MSG and the research we learn that there's always more to the story. In this weeks episode we explore the story of taste, what the research actually says about MSG, and the unfortunate reality blaming a single ethnicity has led to.
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Resources:
Zanfirescu A, Ungurianu A, Tsatsakis AM, et al. A review of the alleged health hazards of monosodium glutamate [published correction appears in Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2020 Jul;19(4):2330]. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2019
We Can't Talk About MSG Without Talking About Racism. Frankie Haung. Men's Health. November 2021.