T95-44 Brad Stone
August 31, 1995 (202) 205-4144
Larry Bachorik
(301) 827-6242
FASEB ISSUES FINAL REPORT ON MSG
The Federation of American Societies for Experimental
Biology (FASEB) has presented to FDA the final report on its FDA-
sponsored review of the safety of the food ingredients monosodium
glutamate (MSG) and other free glutamates.
The following information may be used to answer questions:
The report reaffirms the safety of MSG at normally consumed
levels for the general population and found no evidence linking
MSG to any serious, long-term medical problems in the general
population.
Besides reaffirming MSG's safety for the general population,
however, this latest report also finds that there is evidence to
suggest certain people may develop short-term reactions -- what
the report terms "MSG Symptom Complex" -- when they consume large
doses (approximately 3 grams or more per meal) of MSG or other
free glutamates. No evidence was found linking the MSG Symptom
Complex to the consumption of low levels of glutamate.
The report also expressed concern about the effects that
glutamate consumption may have on a small group of people with
severe asthma. This concern is based on limited clinical studies
-More- Page 2, FASEB MSG Report
of severe asthmatics, some of whom experienced bronchospasm up to
6 to 12 hours after being exposed to MSG.
In addition to these findings, the FASEB report recommends
that additional research be conducted on some specific issues
related to glutamates, such as their possible effects on
asthmatics.
Based on a preliminary review of the FASEB report, the
agency believes that the report provides the basis to require
glutamate labeling. FDA will propose that foods containing
significant amounts of free glutamate declare glutamate as an
ingredient on the label. This would allow consumers to
distinguish between foods with insignificant free glutamate
levels and those that might contribute to a reaction.
MSG is one of several types of glutamates -- substances
derived from glutamic acid, a major building block for proteins.
When glutamate which has been bound in a protein is released
during the breakdown of the protein molecule, it becomes "free
glutamate." Free glutamates provide flavor enhancement to foods,
and are the focus of much of the concern about glutamates.
Naturally occurring free glutamates are found in relatively high
levels in some foods, including ripe tomatoes and parmesan
cheese.
MSG and other sources of free glutamates have been widely
used as flavor enhancers. Because of MSG's history of safe,
common use in foods prior to the Food Additive Amendments of
-More- Page 3, FASEB MSG Report
1958, FDA has considered it to be generally recognized as
safe(GRAS).
In the late 1960s, published reports started to appear
linking consumption of MSG to adverse reactions such as
headaches, perceived heart palpitations and gastrointestinal
discomfort. In particular, some dishes, such as clear soups that
contained high levels of MSG in a readily absorbable form,
produced reactions.
Since those initial reports, the agency has received
anecdotal reports of adverse reactions supposedly associated with
the consumption of relatively small amounts of MSG or other
glutamates found in processed foods.
In response to these reports, and as part of its general
review of pre-1958 GRAS food ingredients, FDA sponsored extensive
reviews on the safety of MSG, other free glutamates and
hydrolyzed proteins. Both a 1978 and a 1980 study on MSG and
related substances concluded that MSG is safe for the general
public at common use levels. The 1980 review, however, did note
that it was not possible to determine, without additional data,
whether a significant increase in glutamate consumption would
cause adverse effects. Additionally, during the late 1970s and
throughout the 80s, research on the role of glutamate in the
nervous system raised questions about its safety.
-More- Page 4, FASEB MSG Report
In order to address these lingering questions, FDA
contracted with FASEB, a leading independent scientific
organization, in September 1992 to review all available
scientific data bearing on the safety of MSG and related
substances. FASEB has held a two day public meeting and convened
an expert panel that thoroughly reviewed all the available
scientific literature on this issue. The FASEB report is the
most comprehensive review of existing information on glutamate
safety, and it provides a new safety assessment of these
substances.
Currently, foods containing added MSG must declare it as an
ingredient on their labels. Processed foods may also contain
other ingredients that contain significant levels of free
glutamate, such as autolyzed yeast, soy sauce and some
flavorings. These ingredients, like any other ingredients, are
declared on the label by their names.
In 1993, FDA proposed to require those protein hydrolysates
that contain substantial amounts of glutamate to include the
phrase "(contains glutamate)" in the ingredient's name on food
labels. A new proposal will supersede the 1993 proposal.
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