Mahkatop
Mahkatop — MSG, or Monosodium Glutamate, is a flavor enhancer that many people believe to be harmful. But is MSG really dangerous to the body? In fact, MSG is a safe food additive, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which categorizes it as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).
According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), MSG is typically a white crystalline substance made from fermented sugarcane extracts. In Indonesia, the use of MSG is regulated by Ministry of Health Regulation No. 033 of 2012 and the Regulation of the Head of the National Agency of Drug and Food Control No. 23 of 2013 regarding the Maximum Limit of Use of Flavor Enhancers. These regulations state that MSG is a safe food additive when used in appropriate amounts.
Studies Show MSG Is Safe
In the 1990s, the FDA commissioned a group of independent scientists to investigate whether MSG was harmful. Their findings concluded that MSG is safe. However, individuals who consume 3 grams or more of MSG without food and are sensitive to amino acids may experience temporary discomfort such as headaches, numbness, flushing, tingling, heart palpitations, and drowsiness.
The average intake of MSG-added foods in the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom is estimated to be about 0.6 grams per day. In East Asia, such as Japan and South Korea, the average intake ranges from 1.6 grams to 2.3 grams per day. The European Food Safety Authority recommends a daily intake of less than 30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
The Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) states that the body metabolizes added MSG in the same way it metabolizes naturally occurring MSG. It’s important to understand the difference between food allergies, which involve the immune system, and food intolerances, which are digestive system issues.
Origin of the Belief that MSG Is Harmful
In the 1960s, a Chinese-American doctor, Robert Ho Man Kwok, wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine explaining that he felt sick after consuming Chinese food. He attributed his symptoms to alcohol, sodium, or MSG. This letter sparked a wave of misinformation about MSG, likely linked to existing biases against Chinese immigrants and their cuisine. The symptoms described were later termed “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome,” now known as “MSG Symptom Complex” (MSC).
Early studies that supported the negative reputation of MSG had many flaws, such as inadequate control groups, small sample sizes, methodological weaknesses, inaccurate dosing, and the use of doses much higher than typical food consumption. Fred Cohen, a headache specialist and assistant professor of medicine and neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, found that many studies used MSG doses far exceeding normal consumption levels, leading to inconsistent results.
Conclusion
Studies and expert institutions conclude that MSG is a safe flavor enhancer when used in appropriate amounts. A serving of food containing MSG typically has less than half a gram of the additive, which is within safe consumption limits. Therefore, MSG consumption is safe as long as it is within the daily intake recommendations. (*)
