Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Spices and MSG

   I just wonder when did the FDA start allowing labeling to be so vague as spices or flavorings and not telling us what they are.  And why do we accept that as a food ingredient and not demand that we know what is in our food.  I tried to find out on their website but was unable to.
   I think we have become complacent thinking that someone else will make sure our food is safe for us to eat and we just don't have to worry about it.  Well, we do.  Pretty much if you see spices, flavorings, natural flavorings or seasonings you can be pretty sure there is MSG in that product.  There are of course exceptions but if they don't list the source after those ingredients I don't buy it.  You may say " I am not sensitive to MSG so I don't really worry about it".  But this is something we all need to worry about.  Especially for our children.  Their brains are just developing and MSG works on the brain, it makes us think the food tastes better than it does.  That way companies can use lesser quality foods and we think they are delicious.
    Just take a look at the canned and boxed foods you have in your cupboard.  Even organic foods have MSG in them labeled of course as some other name.  The one I commonly find besides those I listed above is autolyzed yeast.  Once you realize how much of our food has MSG you may feel like it's just something you have to put up with and move on.  But I know we need to stop this practice for all our health.   You might be wondering what the difference is of seeing MSG on a label or the other names I have mentioned.  It is in the percentage of the MSG that is in the ingredient.  I have heard it to be 79% MSG and an even higher %.  But even 79% of say a tablespoon of MSG with 21% being say salt, is simply too much MSG for me.  Then compound that by the fact that many labels have more than 1 of these ie spice and natural flavorings in them.  This is why something that says no MSG can claim that and still have the above mentioned ingredients in it.  It only needs to be called MSG if it is above that required % to say so.
   I would love to just buy whatever I want and not have to worry about being sick after I eat it.  But for now I am an avid label reader.  A supplement I have found to help me is Taurine.  I take it everyday to help with any accidental run in's I may have with MSG.  I am not recommending it for you in any medical capacity, but you may want to check out information on it if you are also someone that cannot tolerate MSG.  I was so happy when I came across that information

For the history of MSG go to http://www.truthinlabeling.org/IVhistoryOfUse.html
As always check back on the Truth in Labeling website for a their up to date list of MSG aliases
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html


Remember: By food industry definition, all MSG is "naturally occurring." "Natural" doesn't mean "safe."
"Natural" only means that the ingredient started out in nature, like arsenic and hydrochloric acid
until next time
Happy Shopping
Pame

Thursday, March 17, 2011

MSG in Rotisserie Chicken

My discovery this week of MSG was at my co-op.  I purchased their rotisserie chicken 2 weeks ago and suspected msg because I had some of the usual symptoms but thought maybe it was just a virus but this week when I ate it I knew for sure, dratts.  So I called the co-op to tell them that I think they are inadvertently putting MSG on their chicken.  They were very helpful and concerned and I think they truly want to find out what ingredient is the problem.  One of the possibilities is sea salt.  We all think that that is a better salt for us but I have heard rumors of msg being introduced into that product in chips etc. so maybe that is the case.  Otherwise it may just be in the spices they are putting on the chicken.  They said they will start making a few without seasoning each day for people and hopefully they'll figure it out so I can enjoy their yummy seasoned chickens as well.
My best advice is education, educate yourself and anyone else that you can.  It is so bad for us and in so much of our food these days.  I've even heard rumors of aspartame and msg blend in soft drinks coming soon.
Remember to check out the ever changing face of msg on the Truth in labeling website.
Until next week
Happy shopping

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

MSG in my homemade chile

Well I made the mistake of trusting the black beans and possibly the tomatoes last night.  It's always a
learning experience, sometimes I feel like the canary in the mines.
   Anyway I made chile last night with Eden Black Beans, organic beef, onion and Muri Glenn Tomatoes
and there it was that stomach ache of MSG along with the headache, so.....
   Eden Black Beans

Eden Organics Products contain MSG

March 10th, 2009Mike7 comments
edenorganicsblackbeans msg1 Eden Organics Products contain MSG
Eden Organics Black Beans contain MSG in the form of Kombu "sea tangle"
Eden organics would have you believe that you are eating something organic, healthy and wholesome. But if you know anything at all about MSG (free glutamate) you’d know that simply is not true just by reading their label.
Eden Organics Black Beans
Ingredients
Organic Black Turtle Beans, Water, Kombu Seawood.
“EDEN Organic Black Beans are expertly prepared at our certified organic, circle k kosher cannery in east central Indiana. Beans are washed, soaked overnight and thoroughly cooked with water and a bit of kombu sea vegetable. You don’t taste the kombu, but its natural glutamic acid softens and enhances the flavor of beans. All water that contacts EDEN beans, for washing, soaking, and cooking
Guess I'll have to start using dried black beans to be sure of no msg, I've read other labels for black beans and it's disheartening how many have some sort of additive that is suspect and I am simply getting tired of being sick after eating something I prepare at home.  Remember to check the list on Truth in Labeling website since it is always changing.  It's like trying to hit a moving target and that's what the food industry wants.  If we don't know what it's called we won't know we should avoid it and it tastes soooooo good.
Just keep reading the labels and sending emails or even calling to complain to the companies.  The msg allows them to use inferior tasting products and we think it taste wonderful because our brains are being tricked by the msg.
Until next time
Pame

Sunday, March 6, 2011

MSG what can we do to avoid it

I decided to start this blog after years of trying to avoid MSG.  It's getting harder
and harder to do and most people are not even aware they are eating it because
the FDA in their wisdom has classified MSG in a different way so you are eating
it but it's listed as something else rather than msg due to the % of msg in the ingrerdient
If you want to learn more about that I encourage you to go to Truth in Labeling for their
constant updated list of the hidden sources of msg.  I could list a few for you that I seem
to continually find in foods I would have thought were safe;
Glutamic acid (E 620)2,  Glutamate (E 620)
Monosodium glutamate (E 621)
Monopotassium glutamate (E 622)
Calcium glutamate (E 623)
Monoammonium glutamate (E 624)
Magnesium glutamate (E 625)
Natrium glutamate
Yeast extract
Anything “hydrolyzed”
Any “hydrolyzed protein”
Calcium caseinate,  Sodium caseinate
Yeast food, Yeast nutrient
Autolyzed yeast
Gelatin
Textured protein
Soy protein, soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolate
Whey protein, whey protein concentrate
Whey protein isolate
Anything “…protein”
Vetsin
Ajinomoto
There are many more but this gives you a start.
   I found some of these in my Annies Gluten Free Mac and Cheese although it
was not in all their mac and cheese varieties so you need to be diligent and read
your labels. Even a can of black beans or tomatoes can have it added so read read read.
Don't think you can avoid it by going organic because since glutamic acid is something
naturally found in some fruits and vegies it is allowed to be added in organic foods, remember
Annies.
   I am going to try to do an update of items I find at my local store and co-op on a weekly
basis for you and hopefully that will help others who are trying to avoid msg as well.  I consider
myself lucky because it makes me very sick so I know right away that I have eaten it and can
find the culprit, most people are not getting so obviously sick so they are continuing to eat this
addictive and brain altering ingredient.
   Talk to you after my next shopping trip
Pame