A few months ago, an extremely interesting segment on MSG and
food preservatives and flavourings aired in a current affairs show
here that sparked wide interest in the subject and ignited the
interest of yours truly, who then became even more vigilant in
checking the ingredients labels of food in the supermart and
grocery stalls before I purchase them.
It's not enough to try and avoid MSG and the side effects it causes
these days - the devil now comes in a myriad of guises! But a rose
by any other name, remains a rose, and along the same lines, a
poison, by any other name, does not a non-poison make! Not that MSG
in itself is a 'poison' but figuratively speaking.
Here's an awesome website you ought to visit and peruse because
there's a whole lotta information in it that's very useful with
regards to this subject matter :
http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/FactMSG.htm
Here are a few excerpts from the site :
"In 1994, Australian food regulators approved a new flavour enhancer called Ribonucleotides
(flavour enhancer 635), a combination of disodium
guanylate 627 and disodium inosinate 631. Researchers had recently
discovered that combining some of these
additives with MSG could enhancer the effects of MSG up to
10-15 times. Furthermore, if natural forms of MSG such as
yeast extract or hydrolysed vegetable protein were used with
ribonucleotides, the label could claim NO ADDED MSG. As
products containing the new MSG started to appear on supermarket
shelves, the Food Intolerance Network started to receive reports of
reactions. As well as the usual set of food intolerance reactions,
flavour enhancer 635 seems to be
particularly associated with dramatic itchy skin rashes and
sometimes swelling of the lips and tongue in children and adults
who had never suffered from skin complaints. Because the reactions
are often delayed by hours or even days, most consumers never
realize the cause of their rash and some can suffer for
years.
Sooo...
"How to avoid MSG and other flavour enhancers
"Dont expect to find MSG on the label
"MSG or glutamates can appear in foods under a number of
descriptions, see box. MSG is considered
to be natural, so the 3 Nos or any other advertising about all
natural, preservative-free, no artificial colours or
flavours.
Flavour enhancers can appear in foods under the following
description
Glutamic acid (620)
Monosodium glutamate (621)
Monopotassium glutamate (622)
Calcium glutamate (623)
Monammonium glutamate (624)
Magnesium glutamate (625)
Hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP), other forms of hydrolysed or
autolysed protein
Hydrolysed plant protein (HPP)
Natural flavourings
Flavours
Kombu extract
Yeast extract
Accent
Ajinomoto
Zest
Gourmet powder
Chinese seasoning
Ve-tsin powder
The new MSG: Flavour enhancers 627, 631, 635
Disodium guanylate 627
Disodium inosinate 631
Disodium 5ribonucleotides 635, also called ribonucleotides or
nucleotides
Nucleotides are possibly added to unbaked products such as chicken
nuggets in bakers yeast
Soooo... do yourselves and your loved ones a huge favour by
cultivating a habit of READING YOUR FOOD LABELS, if you don't
already do so! 
I'm quite vigilant about this and have
put down many a can / pack of food right back on the shelves
because it didn't pass my strict 'quality control'! 
I love my food, but I'm not about to endorse having
all these chemicals floating about in me, knowing goodness knows
what inside! 
My next thread shall be on Artificial Sweeteners - How the
"Light"er versions of your food might not necessarily be your best
choice! (Provided, I have time to get online,
because I STILL have not bought a (*&(*#@[email protected] PC and can't come
online easily! 
)
