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Letter: What Ajinomoto says about MSG
I refer two articles titled "Standing up against MSG" and "Fighting the MSG curse" written by Venilla Rajaguru, (The Jakarta Post, Nov
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I refer two articles titled "Standing up against MSG" and "Fighting the MSG curse" written by Venilla Rajaguru, (The Jakarta Post, Nov. 19).
Both articles discussed the alleged health effects of monosodium glutamate (MSG), but did not once examine the substance of MSG which causes those effects and reactions.
People from all over the world have been consuming MSG for almost 100 years. Have we all been really ignorant about the side effects of MSG?
Like any other food additives, MSG has been subject to rigorous checks by health authorities. The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of FAO and WHO reviewed MSG's safety in 1970, 1971, 1974 and 1987. JECFA found it prudent to give MSG an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of "not specified" *generally recognized as safe for consumption*.
In Indonesia, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has forbidden descriptions such as "No MSG" on food labels and advertising since last year.
MSG caused brain damage to infant mice in some research because MSG was given to them in extremely high dosages (up to 240 grams by human standards) and administered unnaturally (by injection).
MSG functions as a seasoning in foods, due to its umami or savory taste characteristics. Umami is recognized as the fifth basic taste alongside salty, sweet, sour and bitter. We can obtain optimum umami by adding 0.1-0.8 percent MSG to food served.
TURIADI
External Scientific Affairs/PR Advisor
PT Ajinomoto Indonesia
Jakarta
