Controversy continues over MSG and how safe it is to consume

TAMPA - It's found in Cheetos, Doritos, soups, and many Chinese dishes. We're talking about MSG, short for Monosodium glutamate. It's a flavor enhancer also added to canned vegetables and processed meats.

Some don't notice it. Others fear MSG is associated with migraine headaches, food allergies, hyperactivity in children, and obesity because it makes food taste better and you'll eat more. So are these concerns really valid?

"MSG has been around for 100 years," said Florida Hospital Tampa nutrition/diabetes expert Jodee Meisenhelder.

Meisenhelder has a Ph.D. and is a registered dietitian. She believes MSG is nothing to worry about.

"It's a natural occurring additive, a flavor enhancer just like salt and pepper. And the FDA has approved it as being safe." she said

And just because you may be sensitive to MSG does not mean you're allergic to it, according to Meisenhelder.

"MSG is not classified as an allergen. And if you have a reaction after eating Chinese food, there's a lot of sodium in it so you may be reacting to the high salt content, not the MSG," Meisenhelder said.

She went on to say, "Food additives are studied extensively before making it to market."

But Florida Hospital Tampa Neurologist Dr. Nancy Rodgers says,"People can get migraines when ingesting MSG if they're already sensitive to the additive. And even though MSG is natural doesn't mean it's safe. Opium is natural too."

Rodgers says glutamates are important neurotransmitters in the human brain, but if ingested in high doses, it can be difficult to tolerate, especially if you're sensitive to it.

"It can cause headaches, diarrhea, and nausea. And if you're prone to migraines, it can trigger that too in some people," Rodgers explained.

MSG was once made predominantly from wheat gluten, but is now made mostly from bacterial fermentation. Modern commercial MSG is produced by fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane or molasses.

The Food and Drug Administration has classified MSG as a food ingredient that's "generally recognized as safe," but 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.

Some other foods containing MSG include:

• * Prepared stocks often known as stock cubes or bouillon cubes.
• * Condiments such as barbecue sauce and salad dressings.
• * Canned, frozen or dried prepared food
• * Common snack foods such as flavored jerky, flavored potato chips (crisps) and flavored tortilla chips.
• * Seasoning mixtures

Mary Keith, a licensed dietitian with the University of Florida says, "Some people claim they have bad reactions to it, but these are rarely reproducible. That is, if a person is given a food containing MSG without their knowledge, they don't react. But if they are given something they are told has MSG, even if it does not, they will often have a reaction. Other than that, there is no evidence that it is harmful."

Keith, who has her Ph.D., went on to say, "It occurs naturally in almost every food to a certain extent. Tomatoes have a lot of it, one reason why spaghetti sauce makes things taste so good. But the G, glutamate, is a form of a natural amino acid present is almost every protein. Using MSG instead of salt to enhance flavor on average can reduce the total sodium in the food by almost half, which is generally considered to be a good thing."

Former food inspector Roy Costa says its a chemical in limbo. Its use in restaurants is really frowned upon but allowed and he puts it in perspective.

"Compared to Listeria in cantaloupe, yes, it's a non issue. But if you are one of the few that react to it, MSG is somewhat more of an issue," Costa said.

If you ate at a restaurant and think you had a reaction to MSG that they served, we want to know about it.  Please e-mail the information to ABC Action News anchor Wendy Ryan at wryan@wfts.com or go to her Facebook page and leave a comment at Facebook.com/WendyRyanWFTS .