No more MSG: Be aware of what you put inside of your food!

Monosodium glutamate, also known as MSG is a flavor enhancer most commonly linked to Chinese food.

But it’s not just Asian cuisine that you have to watch out for. Americans consume their share of MSG when they eat processed foods, like canned soups and chips, and the labels don’t always clearly label it.  MSG has been used as a food additive for decades.Health studies show that the more MSG individuals eat the more likely they are to be overweight or obese. While MSG is labeled safe it can give some people who are sensitive to it nausea, headaches or other reactions. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified MSG as a food ingredient that's "generally recognized as safe," the use of MSG remains controversial. For this reason, when MSG is added to food, the FDA requires that it be listed on the label. Though it's not always easy to identify MSG on the food label, here’s a list of alternative names of common ingredients that could indicate that your food contains the flavor additive:

—Glutamic acid

—Monosodium glutamate

—Monopotassium glutamate

—Calcium glutamate

—Monoammonium glutamate

—Magnesium glutamate

—Natrium glutamate

—Yeast extract

—Anything “hydrolyzed”

—Any “hydrolyzed protein”

—Calcium caseinate,  sodium caseinate

—Yeast food, yeast nutrient

—Autolyzed yeast

 

 (Note) Popular seasonings such as Lawry's Seasoned Salt labels "NO MSG".
 Another kitchen favorite. Goya complete seasonings contains MSG if you take a look at the ingredients label.