What Foods To Avoid?

We have attempted to give you a comprehensive list of what to avoid.

Unfortunately we needed to expand this list.

The latest attempt to mislead the consumer is Taste No 5 Umami Paste Ž. This stuff is being marketed in "health" magazines as an alternative to MSG, but if the FDA had followed its own recommendation to properly label foods high in free glutamate just like MSG, THIS abomination would have made the list and have to be labeled for what it is. AVOID this.

Foods labeled "Low Sodium" or "Now with Sea Salt" are now suspect. According to the Codex Alimentarius, the global standard for food processing put out by the FAO/WHO (Sadly the Codex is not some weird conspiracy like The DaVinci Code, it is a very real standard now used globally for food manufacture) L- glutamic acid or glutamate (the active business end of MSG) is considered a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) substitute for salt. It can also be added to nearly everything - see the list in the link if you think we are kidding. Because it is detached from its usual sodium buddy, it doesn't even need to be labeled as MSG or monosodium glutamate. We would recommend avoiding anything on that list - which is pretty much anything you didn't grow or raise yourself, WORLDWIDE.

If you have the heart to keep reading after learning about the Codex Alimentarius, in addition to what is on the Codex list, most fast food establishments should be avoided - the worst offender by far is KFCŽ. It should become obvious as well, that the foods most likely to give someone an MSG reaction at ANY restaurant are: CHICKEN and SAUSAGE products, RANCH dressing, PARMESAN items, GRAVY, and DIPPING SAUCES and fries with any kind of seasoning on them except plain salt. FLAVORED salty snack chips - ESPECIALLY DoritosŽ and CheetosŽ and items with cheese powder added.
At regular restaurants, you want to avoid PARMESAN encrusted ANYTHING, SOUPS, CEASAR salad, FISH SAUCE or EXTRACT, SOY SAUCE, BOARS HEADŽ COLD CUTS and beef jerky (usually made with soy sauce) and anything that comes out of a can. Go to restaurants that make things from scratch - you can ask what is in food and also ask for special items without the offending ingredients. You WILL be glad you spoke up BEFORE you eat the wrong thing. DON'T smother your choice in the parmesan cheese at the table either- Parmesan cheese is 1% straight MSG by weight.

At your friend's and relatives' homes - the hardest place to avoid MSG - avoid your aunt's "secret" recipe, anything that has AccentŽ in it, anything with a boullion cube or meat extract or "seasoning" packet, the Latino seasoning Goya SazonŽ, Lawry'sŽ seasoning salt, Gravy MasterŽ, tuna with "broth" or hydrolyzed or autolysed ANYTHING on the label, potato chip dip or hamburgers with Lipton'sŽ Onion Soup Mix in them, Vegetable dips with KnorrŽ vegetable soup mix in it, Italian foods smothered in Parmesan cheese, Hamburger Helper, canned soups - especially ProgressoŽ and tomato or mushroom soup, the "green bean casserole" heck, ANY casserole. Check packages of prepared baked items and avoid any with soy protein, casein, wheat gluten, malted barley, and non-fat dried milk as an ingredient. Avoid aspartame, NutrasweetŽ, "diet" drinks and artificially sweetened desserts.   If you aren't sure - just eat the raw vegetables but don't dip them - eat them plain. Skip the hotdogs and cold cuts altogether unless you know they are safe. Have some iced tea and add plain sugar and fresh lemon. BRING foods you can eat so you aren't tempted and weak when your relatives ask why you aren't eating their prized recipe - and you cave in and poison yourself just to make them happy. Avoid Ultra-pasteurized dairy products, cheeses, cream, and half and half with carageenan added. Look for plain Pasteurized whole milk to put in your plain coffee and avoid low fat and non-fat milk - because low fat dairy products usually have dried, high-free glutamate, non-fat dried milk added to boost the protein content.

So, here is the official list which was obtained from the website links provided. (Amazing what they call food nowadays, isn't it?)

The following Fast Food menu items contain MSG or enough free glutamate to cause a reaction:

Umami BurgerŽ

Anything on their menu. They are trying to maximize the free glutamate content of their food. That is the point of the restaurant. According to the FDA in 1995, for anyone sensitive to MSG, free glutamate - (Umami) is to be avoided because high amounts of free glutamate will give an MSG sensitive person a reaction. It doesn't matter which new young "chef" is pushing Umami - Umami means MSG.

McDonald'sŽ
    Grilled Chicken Filet
    Hot and Spicy Chicken Patty
    Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad
    Grilled Chicken California Cobb Salad
    Seasoned Beef
    Sausage Scrambled Egg Mix, Sausage, and Sausage Patty
    French Fries - the "seasoning" added to the oil the fries are precooked in.

The "seasoning" is made from beef, wheat and milk, processed to break down the proteins into free amino acids like glutamate. US laws allow "natural flavoring" to consist of "protein hydrolysates" containing free glutamic acid. That's why they do it - to free glutamate to act like MSG so they can declare a "clean label" while misleading the consumer.

McDonaldsŽ Ingredient Webpage

Burger KingŽ
    Breaded Chicken Patty
    Spicy Chicken Patty
    Breaded Tendercrisp Chicken
    Chicken Tenders
    BK Chicken Fries
    Garden Veggie Patty - contains hydrolyzed corn, soy and wheat - which contains free glutamate
    Sausage Patty
    Ranch dipping sauce
    Ken's Fat Free Ranch Dressing

Burger KingŽ Ingredient Webpage

KFCŽ
    Roasted Ceasar Salad (WITHOUT dressing and croutons)
    Crispy Ceasar Salad (WITHOUT dressing)
    Roasted BLT Salad (WITHOUT dressing)
    Crispy BLT Salad (WITHOUT dressing
    Hidden Valley - The Original Fat Free Ranch Dressing
    KFC Creamy Parmesan Ceasar Dressing - contains parmesan cheese - very high in MSG naturally
    KFC Garlic Parmesan Croutons Pouch - contains parmesan cheese - very high in MSG naturally
    KFC Famous Bowls - Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
    Gravy
    KFC Famous Bowls - Rice with Gravy
    Rice
    Seasoned Rice
    KFC Snacker - Chicken
    KFC Snacker - Honey BBQ
    Honey BBQ Sandwich
    Double Crunch Sandwich
    Crispy Twister
    Oven Roasted Twister
    Oven Roasted Twister (WITHOUT sauce)
    Tender Roast Sandwich
    Tender Roast Sandwich(WITHOUT sauce)
    Original Recipe Chicken (its in the marinade - it's literally soaked in MSG and salt)
    Extra Crispy - MSG is in both the marinade AND the breading
    Colonel's Crispy Strips
    Popcorn Chicken
    Chicken Pot Pie
    Boneless HBBQ Wings
    Boneless Fiery Buffalo Wings
    Sweet and Spicy Boneless Wings
    Hot Wings
    Green Beans (yeah, this shocked us too)
    Mashed Potatoes with Gravy
    Potato Wedges

KFCŽ Ingredient WebPage


Chick - fil - AŽ The Chicken Sandwich has MSG in it. MSG is the second ingredient in the seasonings after salt.

Chick - fil - AŽ Ingredient Webpage

We have not been able to get a real accounting of what is in Applebee's food, the website is particularly vague, but we have gotten many reports of MSG reactions to foods at the chain restaurants like TGI Fridays, Applebees, and most chain restaurants that have marinated and seasoned meats and that overuse parmesan and soy sauce. In our experience, the better restaurants have chefs willing to make a special meal for you, and also the owners of local eateries (not chains) where things are made from scratch will be able to tell you everything that went into your meal. Don't take chances on your health - often good chefs and chef/owners like the chance to be creative and keep a customer at the same time. The hardest part is dealing with your friends (who think you are high maintenance). It helps to eat out with friends who also have special diet requirements.

The best advice to anyone visiting a Fast Food establishment (if you have to):

    AVOID all CHICKEN items
    AVOID all SAUSAGE items
    AVOID all PARMESAN items
    AVOID all Ranch dressings - stick to oil and vinegar Italian
    AVOID Croutons
    AVOID KFC altogether - we're not kidding
    AVOID Dipping Sauces
    AVOID Gravy
    AVOID TOMATO AND MUSHROOM soups


Unfortunately, certain food companies are experimenting on how to put more MSG in your MSG-free foods. We recommend you avoid ANY and all products from the following food companies - since they will NOT have a label that will alert you to the presence of free glutamic acid. They are trying to keep a clean label while increasing the amount of free glutamic acid in your food.

Nestle'
Campbells
Frito-Lay
Unilever
Dairy Management Inc.
The Mushroom Council
Ajinomoto Food Ingredients
Senomyx

The following foods contain MSG or its business end - the free amino acid glutamate - in amounts large enough to cause reactions in those sensitive to it.:

Taste No 5 Umami Paste Ž MSG disguised as a substitute for MSG. A travesty of misleading labeling and marketing.

"Low Sodium" or "Sea Salt" products now often have L-Glutamate added straight (without sodium) or freed during processing to act as a salt substitute to get a "clean label" without MSG on it. (Never mind that GLUTAMATE raises blood pressure)

Taco BellŽ - seasoned meat - contains autolyzed yeast - which contains free glutamate

Other menu items that contain soy sauce, natural flavors, autolyzed yeast or hydrolyzed protein which can contain up to 20% free glutamic acid - the active part of MSG.

Hamburger Helper Microwave SinglesŽ (targeted towards children)

DoritosŽ

Campbell'sŽ soups - all of them - based on their commitment to add "umami" (read - MSG) to their products

PringlesŽ (the flavored varieties)

Cold cuts - Boars Head - even the "low sodium" varieties with the "heart healthy" logos.

Nathan'sŽ Hotdogs

ProgressoŽ Soups - all of them

LiptonŽ Noodles and Sauce

LiptonŽ Instant soup mix

Unilever or KnorrŽ products - often used in homemade Veggie dips.

KraftŽ products nearly all contain some free glutamate

Gravy MasterŽ

Cup-a-soupŽ or Cup-o-NoodlesŽ

PlantersŽ salted nuts - most of them

AccentŽ -this is nearly pure MSG

BraggsŽ Liquid Aminos - sold at Whole Foods

Hodgson Mill Kentucky Kernel Seasoned FlourŽ

Tangle extract (seaweed extract) - found in sushi rolls (even at Whole Foods) Seaweed is what MSG was first isolated from.

Fish extract - made from decomposed fish protein - used now in Japanese sushi dishes - very high in free glutamate.

sausages - most supermarkets add MSG to theirs

processed cheese spread

MarmiteŽ

supermarket poultry or turkeys that are injected or "self-basting"

Stop and Shop All Natural rotisserie chicken with "natural flavors", sea salt, carageenan (seaweed) AND chicken broth.

restaurant gravy from food service cans

flavored ramen noodles

boullion - any kind

instant soup mixes

many salad dressings

most salty, powdered dry food mixes - read labels

flavored potato chips

restaurant soups made from food service soup base or with added MSG

monopotassium glutamate

glutamic acid

hydrolyzed gelatin - found in VACCINES - is 10% free glutamate by weight

hydrolyzed vegetable protein (found in many processed AMERICAN foods, like canned tuna and even hot dogs)

hydrolyzed plant protein (found in many processed AMERICAN foods, like canned tuna and even hot dogs)

autolyzed yeast (found in many processed AMERICAN foods, read labels)

sodium caseinate

textured protein

beet juice - it is used as a coloring, but MSG is manufactured from beets and the extract may contain free glutamic acid - Yo Baby - organic baby yogurt has just changed the formula to include beet extract

yeast extract

yeast food or nutrient

soy protein isolate

soy sauce

Worcestershire sauce

Kombu extract

dry milk and whey powder

"natural flavors" - may contain up to 20% MSG

carageenan

dough conditioners

malted barley

malted barley flour - found in many supermarket breads and all-purpose flours including: King Arthur, Heckers, and Gold Medal flour

body builder drink powders containing protein

Parmesan cheese - naturally high in free glutamate

over-ripe tomatoes - naturally high in free glutamate

mushrooms - naturally high in free glutamate

Medications in gelcaps - contain free glutamic acid in the gelatin

Cosmetics and shampoos - some now contain glutamic acid

Fresh produce sprayed with Auxigro in the field. (Yes the EPA approved this. It appalled us too.)

Food manufacturers are hiding MSG so you don't know where it is. Lately, food manufacturers mention a "clean label" when referring to soy sauce and other processed flavor enhancers that already contain MSG in the form of glutamic acid. Food manufacturers use these ingredients so they can claim "no added MSG". Hence a "cleaner" label. They know it's in there, they are just hoping you don't.

See exactly how food manufacturers are trying to use free glutamic acid without telling you about it:     Food Product Design article

Foods that start out low in free glutamate become extremely high in free glutamate the more they are processed as shown in the following chart. Eating fresh whole foods WILL help you.

In the latest pro-MSG "news" article in the Wall Street Journal - everything old is new again as the writers try to make "umami" (the name for the flavor enhancing effect MSG has had since it was isolated in 1908) seem like something newly discovered. What is truly appalling is that in the article, MSG is said to be something consumers are trying to avoid, and at the same time, the writers tout "umami" foods while at the same time admitting that they are high in the glutamate - the business end of MSG. The makers of MSG, Ajinomoto, accurately point out that what makes an "umami" food is it's glutamate content. The "chefs" in the article KNOW that diners are trying to AVOID MSG in their food. These "chefs", like Jean-Georges Vongerichte are actually trying to INCREASE the use of MSG, not decrease it, and they find that OK because the food has a "Clean Label". The recent Cambell's soup commercial where "sea salt" is used instead of regular salt leads one to assume that "umami" figures into their motives. At least the Wall Street Journal has done us all a favor and let us in on what they are planning for your dinners. You may want to pass on their "umami bombs". And note that they don't think they can even come close to the MSG hit young men take when they eat Doritos. The "umami" pushers will continue to add straight MSG to Doritos, because they are afraid of a "riot" should the young men get less glutamate in their "umami bomb" snacks.

Just because the tongue can detect sugar, fat, and salt as well as the presence of protein - because even bound glutamic acid is typically found on the outer surface of a protein molecule, is not a mandate to add simple sugar, trans fat, and an unbalanced amount of free glutamic acid to all of our foods at the expense of other nutrients. Tell a diabetic they can eat as much sugar as they want in any food simply because their tongues were designed to taste it and let us know what they tell you, after they are done laughing at your ignorance.

The most blatant example of a so-called "clean label":

Unilever appears to be in trouble in Vietnam for marketing a product called Knorr Dam Dang as a substitute for MSG.   Unfortunately for Unilever, (the makers of the Knorr dried vegetable soup popular in vegetable dips), their product was actually tested and found to have 30% MSG in it. Despite clearly misleading consumers in Vietnam, the company representatives argue that they are legally allowed to do this due to current labeling laws allowing it.
Vietnam news story.
Vietnam News Update

MSG by any other name.......

In Japan, MSG is labeled as 味の素 or Ajinomoto
In China, MSG = wie jing
In the Phillipines, MSG = Vetsin
In Thailand, MSG = phong churot
In Germany, MSG = Natriumglutaminat
In Europe - MSG = E621, but avoid E620-625 as they also contain glutamate
In the US - "umami", MSG, glutamate, free glutamic acid

We are also getting reports of MSG being added to sausages called "boerewors" and other meats found in supermarkets in South Africa.

MSG is also finding its way into "fast" foods in India, Brazil and Viet Nam

It is getting harder and harder to avoid MSG regardless of where on planet earth you live......

See also:[ MSG and Aspartame ] [ MSG as Crop Spray ]

Be aware it is not just the brand names mentioned, but many similar products to the ones listed also contain MSG. You must always read labels. These product names were given as examples of the many products that contain MSG.

Four good rules of thumb are:

The more salty a processed food is, the more likely it is to contain MSG or free glutamate.

The more processed a food is, the more likely it is to contain MSG or free glutamate: powdered stuff that used to be food is likely to have added MSG because the original flavor has been degraded, AND processing concentrates and frees glutamate already bound and present.

The more ingredients in a packaged food, the more likely MSG is present. Read labels carefully . Time is money. If a food has more than five ingredients and you don't have half an hour to read one ingredient label - put it back on the shelf - you'll be better off.

Do not trust something simply because it is in a health food store and the label states it is natural or even organic. The US allows "natural flavors" to include protein hydrolysates which can contain up to 20% MSG by weight. A distinction without a difference.

The next wave of hastily approved "MSG replacers" you may wish to avoid will be Senomyx.
According to the New York Times April 6, 2005 article "Food Companies Test Flavorings That Can Mimic Sugar, Salt or MSG":

" Since Senomyx's flavor compounds will be used in small proportions (less than one part per million), the company is able to bypass the lengthy F.D.A. approval process required to get food additives on the market. Getting the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association status of generally recognized as safe, or GRAS, took Senomyx less than 18 months, including a 3-month safety study using rats. In contrast, the maker of the artificial sweetener sucralose spent 11 years winning F.D.A. approval and is required to list the ingredient on food labels."

And Senomyx DOESN'T have to be labeled as such. It will be grouped under "artificial flavors". They still don't believe the consumer should know what they are eating. In fact, that is exactly the strategy. Here is one last quote from the NYT article to leave you with:

"We're helping companies clean up their labels," said Senomyx's chief executive, Kent Snyder.

Mr. Snyder, that is EXACTLY what we are afraid of.

For more Information:
MSG and Aspartame
MSG as Crop Spray