Dining’s greatest misunderstanding: The truth about MSG

For years, monosodium glutamate, or MSG, has been the culinary world’s most misunderstood ingredient—vilified in tabloid headlines, banished from menus and treated as shorthand for something vaguely sinister and “unhealthy”. Never mind that it occurs naturally in everything from tomatoes to parmesan, or that it’s been given a clean bill of health by almost every global food safety authority. The war on MSG wasn’t about science—it was about suspicion, snobbery and a sprinkling of good old-fashioned dose of cultural bias.

Now, as chefs quietly welcome it back into the fold and diners begin to question long-held assumptions, it’s worth revisiting the strange and sorry tale of how a pinch of umami became public enemy number one.

Spoiler: This didn’t give you a headache (Photo: Getty)

It all began with a letter

In 1968, The New England Journal of Medicine published a short letter from Dr Robert Ho Man Kwok, a Chinese-American physician who described feeling a bit peculiar—headache, numbness, heart palpitations—after a Chinese meal. He wondered aloud whether MSG might be the culprit. And with that, a moral panic was born.

The press coined the now-debunked term “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”, and MSG was cast out of polite Western kitchens. Never mind that the letter was speculative at best, and quite possibly a hoax. Never mind that there was no scientific evidence. A single anecdote became gospel and umami was vilified.

A case study in cultural bias

This was the 1960s in America, when anti-Asian sentiment bubbled not far beneath the surface. MSG became an easy target, a culinary “other” attached to a cuisine that was booming in popularity but still treated as exotic and suspect. The panic around MSG was never based on science. It was about race, class and who gets to dictate food norms.

Western food manufacturers, for the record, had been using MSG for years in snacks, frozen meals and gravy granules, without similar scrutiny. But in the public eye, MSG became a symbol of something suspect—when associated with Asian food, at least.

The panic around MSG was never just about science (Photo: Getty)

Science had the last word

Fast forward a few decades, and the research is overwhelming: MSG is safe. The World Health Organisation, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, the US FDA and the European Food Safety Authority all agree. It’s been granted GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) status and doesn’t even require a daily intake limit. You’re more at risk from a salt shaker than a pinch of MSG.

What’s more, glutamate—the compound in MSG that delivers that glorious hit of umami—is naturally present in tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese and breast milk. Most people consume more glutamate from food than they ever would from added MSG.

The so-called sensitivity

Yes, some people claim to feel unwell after consuming MSG. However double-blind, placebo-controlled studies show that these symptoms often occur even when no MSG is present. It’s a classic case of the nocebo effect—people feel ill because they expect to. In short, MSG isn’t the problem. Anxiety, media scaremongering and the enduring power of urban legend might be.

Let’s talk about sodium

There’s also a practical benefit. MSG contains about a third of the sodium of table salt. When used properly, it allows chefs and home cooks to dial up flavour while reducing overall salt content—a boon for public health. The idea that MSG is a “cheat” is nonsense. It’s just another tool in the cook’s arsenal, no more shameful than butter or anchovy paste.

MSG contains about a third of the sodium of table salt (Photo: Getty)

Still a kitchen staple—just not always yours

In Asia, MSG never left the pantry. It remains a staple from Bangkok street stalls to Beijing banquet halls. What’s changed is the west’s slow realisation that we might have been a bit hasty with our judgements.

Today, many chefs—particularly in fine dining—are quietly reintroducing MSG into their cooking, recognising it for what it is: a flavour enhancer with impeccable umami credentials. Just don’t expect them to list it on the menu.

Time to apologise to the white tin

MSG’s fall from grace was never about food. It was about fear—of the foreign, the unfamiliar and the misrepresented. And like many stories born of prejudice, it clung on far too long.

It’s time we moved on. The science is clear. The taste is glorious. And frankly, if it’s good enough for your parmesan and shiitake, it’s good enough for your stir-fry.

Let’s stop pretending otherwise.

If MSG is good enough for your parmesan and shiitake, it’s good enough for your stir-fry (Photo: Getty)

This article was adapted from an original Instagram post by @tatlerdiningtw and @tatlertaiwan

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