What's food additive 621? Or E621, or e621?
It is the identification number for the food additive Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).
MSG is probably the most common flavour enhancer used in a variety of food prepared domestically at home or commercially at restaurants and in prepackaged food products.
According to the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations, an additive constituting one of the ingredients of a prepackaged food shall be listed by its functional class and its specific name; or its identification number under the International Numbering System for Food Additives (INS), or its identification number under the INS with the prefix "E" or "e".
Not infrequently food processors may opt to use the identification number 621, instead of the full name of monosodium glutamate, on the ingredient lists of prepackaged food products.
The Consumer Council has received many an enquiry from consumers about this code number, and whether this flavour enhancer is harmful to health.
The main component of MSG is an amino acid called glutamic acid or glutamate which is found in foods that contain protein such as meat, poultry and milk as well as in tomatoes and mushrooms which themselves are often used to enhance the flavour of food.
According to the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) evaluation, an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of "Not Specified" is allocated to MSG.
This means that it is of very low toxicity. Therefore, JECFA considers that on the basis of available data, the total dietary intake of MSG arising from its use at the levels necessary to achieve the desired effect and from its acceptable background in food does not represent a hazard to health.
That is, according to some studies, if you do not belong to a very minority of people who may develop a condition known as "MSG Symptom Complex".
The symptoms are an acute and temporary complex including a burning sensation of the back of the neck, forearms and chest, facial pressure or tightness, chest pain, headache, nausea, upper body weakness, palpitation, numbness in the back of the neck.
As the name of MSG indicates, it contains sodium which is found in salt. A healthy diet should always be low in salt, sugar and fat.
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