McDonald’s is the latest global fast-food purveyor to look at Monosodium-glutamate (MSG) to give its sandwiches a flavor boost. More than 230 McDonald’s branches in the United States are said to be test marketing chicken sandwiches in which MSG is a key ingredient. This move comes following the use of MSG to enhance flavors and lure customers by other food vendors such as Popeyes and Chick-fil-A
The news fast-food chains once again this flavor enhancer represents something of a comeback for MSG, considering that it had been the subject of health concerns for several decades and was for long on the list of ingredients banned by many restaurants and other food manufacturers.
However, MSG seems to have received a second-lease of life on culinary tables following a health ‘thumbs-up’ given to it recently by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The consensus according to latest studies by the FDA is that MSG is generally recognized as safe.
Despite this clean chit, there are many people who are adversely affected by even traces of MSG in their food. These MSG victims experience everything from flushing, nausea and severe headaches akin to full-blown migraine.
MSG is a common amino acid naturally found in foods like tomatoes and cheese, but it is considered as an ‘artificial ingredient’, as it is extracted and fermented from its naturally occurring state through a process similar to how yogurt or wine is made.
It remains a popular food ingredient particularly because of its ability to enhance ‘umami’, one of the five basic tastes — along with sweet, sour, salty and bitter — which corresponds to the savory taste. It tends to make food taste good even with less salt and fat, and hence the interest by major fast-food chains looking to provide healthy options to their menu.
