MSG or Monosodium glutamate is a food additive that is widely used in the variety of processed foods or beverages today. MSG is an exciting, warm, and actual topic to discuss. Especially because of frequent news that accentuate the negative side of MSG such as poisoning, lowering the intelligence of the brain, to be one cause of cancer. So that MSG is often concluded by ordinary people as negative substances.
Is that right?
From a book titled Review Monosodium glutamate pros and cons, it is actually explained that MSG is safe to consume as long as it is not excessive. Even under the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia No. 033 of 2012 concerning Food Supplementary Material (BTP), MSG is declared safe to be used as food additive for permissible flavor enhancers with maximum usage limits.
Here is a further explanation.
MSG is a white crystalline flour that is easily soluble in water and odorless. The main elements contained in MSG are glutaman 78.2%, Sodium 12.2%, and H2O 9.6%.
MSG is obtained from mollasses fermentation or from the hydrolysis of corn gluten and wheat with the help of bacteria or fungi such as Brevibacterium, Arthobacter, Microbacterium, or Corynebacterium.
Durable MSG is stored for long periods due to low water content in it.
Some of the effects of MSG on food are strengthening the aroma of food, adding to the total intensity of flavors in the diet, and having the same flavor effect on the meat water that will add to the delicacy of the food.
Excessive consumption of MSG does not have the potential to interfere with the health of the body. Because the concentration of glutamate is only slightly present in the blood.
Several studies conducted using humans and animals such as mice have shown that glutamate has an important role in the metabolism occurring in digestion as well as nerves such as a major stimulant for neurotransmitters in the brain.
The negative assumption of this MSG consumption arises because the consumption of MSG in large quantities increases the glutamate receptor in the body.
If there is a disruption of function on glutamate receptors it is considered to cause disorders persyarafan, but many experts who claim that this condition is not caused by the consumption of glutamate in food. Because, to decide the safety of a food additive or cause of health problems not only based on a report of a collection of cases but must be done with a good research design.