Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, soups and processed meats. MayoClinic.com reports that although the Food and Drug Administration has recognized MSG as a food ingredient that is generally safe for consumption, its use remains controversial due to reports of adverse reactions such as headaches, sweating, flushing, facial tightness, heart palpitations, weakness, chest pain and nausea. The FDA now requires that food products containing MSG list the ingredient on the label. If you are hypersensitive to MSG, knowing which foods contain this ingredient can help you ward off any potential adverse reactions.
Soups
Soups typically contain a large amount of monosodium glutamate. Many times monosodium glutamate is added to soups to enhance flavor and increase thickness.
Bouillon Cubes
Adding meat-flavored bouillon cubes to your stocks, stews and soups can increase your monosodium glutamate intake. Bouillon cubes contain a large amount of monosodium glutamate and when added to a variety of dishes, they produce a rich, savory meaty flavor.
Fast Foods
Fast food restaurants pack their food with monosodium glutamate in order to provide an appetizing flavor and preserve the food for a longer amount of time. Fast foods heavy in monosodium glutamate include fried chicken, sausage, ranch dressing, seasoned french fries and dipping sauces.
Spices and Sauces
Adding spices and sauces to your dishes can increase your monosodium glutamate intake levels. Many spice mixtures like taco mix, dip mixes, seasoning salt and gravy mixes use monosodium glutamate to preserve the spice mixture and augment the flavor. This ingredient is also used in soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salad dressings, canned gravy and tartar sauce.
Processed Foods
If you are trying to avoid or reduce your monosodium glutamate consumption, stay away from processed foods because they contain large amounts of this ingredient. Monosodium glutamate is often added to processed foods such as deli meats, cheese spreads, hot dogs, frozen pizzas and canned tuna in order to preserve the quality of the food and improve the flavor.
Chinese Food
If you are hypersensitive to monosodium glutamate, you may experience an adverse reaction after eating Chinese foods with this flavor enhancer. Some people have reported chest pain, flushing, numbness and burning around the mouth, facial pressure and sweating after eating Chinese food prepared with monosodium glutamate. According to MayoClinic.com, the implication is that the monosodium glutamate in Chinese foods caused the symptoms, but there is no scientific evidence specifically linking these adverse reactions to monosodium glutamate-based Chinese foods.
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