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Zhang's mother said: "When stir-frying, MSG must be put back, otherwise it will be toxic under high temperature heating, and it may also cause cancer!" ”
Neighbor Uncle Li said: "MSG is a chemical raw material, and it is best to eat chicken essence for safety reasons." ”
Colleague Sister Song said: "Chicken essence is healthier than monosodium glutamate, so our family eats chicken essence. ”
MSG, which was once a kitchen condiment that was essential for every household, was once the same as salt, soy sauce and sugar, but now it has been intimidated by various rumors that "MSG is harmful". Among them, "MONOSG is toxic and carcinogenic" is the most widely circulated.
So, what is MSG? Is it really harmful to the human body, toxic and carcinogenic? What is the difference between it and the chicken essence on the market?
PART.
1
What is MSG?
The main component of monosodium glutamate is sodium glutamate, which is a substance that is extracted and refined from fermentation and extraction by using corn, rice, wheat, sweet potatoes and other grains as raw materials, and is also a sodium salt.
In the modern food industry, monosodium glutamate is produced by microbial fermentation of grain, starch and other raw materials, when it enters the human body can be digested and absorbed, and participate in normal metabolism, its decomposition of glutamic acid, is one of the amino acids that constitute proteins.
2
MSG is toxic and carcinogenic, is it true or false?
Many people say: MSG is toxic and carcinogenic, more terrible than salt and sugar, when the temperature exceeds 100 degrees Celsius, MSG will form toxic sodium pyroglutamate, endangering health and even carcinogenic. Is this really the case?
As early as 1987, the Joint Expert Group of Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, and the European Commission's Food Science Committee (EFSA), all of which conducted evaluations and reviews, all of which believed that there was no need to worry about the safety of MSG.
Moreover, in the "List of Additives That Can Be Used in Various Foods according to production Needs" of the "Sanitary Standards for the Use of Food Additives" (GB2760-2014) of the Mainland Health and Family Planning Commission, sodium glutamate is included in the table as a "flavor enhancer", serial number 21, there is no limit on the amount of addition.
A study by the European Food Safety Authority also showed that as long as it is not consumed in excess, MSG is harmless to the human body [1]!
In 2017, the European Food Safety Authority assessed the effects of glutamic acid and various glutamate salts on humans, and one of the "neurodevelopmental toxicity" studies showed that the maximum dose of sodium glutamate that does not produce harmful effects through long-term animal testing is 30 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
That is to say, if an adult weighs 60 kilograms, then as long as the daily intake of MSG does not exceed 1.8 grams, it will not have an impact on health, and we are difficult to achieve this intake in our daily life.
Therefore, MSG is within the scope of normal use, there is no harm to the human body, and MSG is not as terrible as the legend.
Although research proves that MSG is not harmful, there are still many people who think that chicken essence is better than MSG, so what is the difference between chicken essence and MSG?
3
What is the difference between MSG and chicken essence?
What is Chicken Essence?
The main component of chicken essence is still monosodium glutamate (sodium glutamate contains about 40%), on this basis, and then add edible salt, rice, white sugar, flavor nucleotide, edible flavor and other substances to compound.
It can also be said that there is not a big difference between chicken essence and monosodium glutamate, and chicken essence is actually "chicken flavored monosodium glutamate".
Since there is no difference between MSG and chicken essence, why is chicken essence more noble than MSG in people's hearts?
We see in supermarkets that most of the chicken essence packaging is vividly painted with a fat chicken, or written "made of high-quality fat chicken" and "made of really high-quality chicken", and the price is also more expensive than MSG, many people will feel that chicken essence is better than MSG.
But in fact, as can be seen from the above, the difference between chicken essence and monosodium glutamate is not large, the main component of chicken essence is monosodium glutamate (sodium glutamate), the reason why it is eaten out of the "chicken flavor", it is because of the addition of chicken powder, chicken bone meal, egg extract, etc. [2], nutrition is not better than MSG.
If there is no difference in nutrition, why add chicken essence to daily cooking, which will make the ingredients taste delicious?
In fact, the reason why the taste of chicken essence is very fresh is mainly due to the role of MONOS glutamate. In addition, inosine and guanylate are both freshness aids, which also have the effect of flavoring, and they are combined with sodium glutamate to make the umami taste of chicken essence softer, the taste is more round, plump, and the aroma is strong.
Therefore, whether it is chicken essence or monosodium glutamate, there is no distinction between superior and inferior, which one to choose, depending on personal preferences. The two will not cause any harm to the body under the condition of normal consumption and not excessive.
But also to remind everyone that MSG and chicken essence itself contain a certain amount of sodium, so the amount of salt used when using cooking must be reduced.
Resources:
[1] Abraham R, Dougherty W, Golberg L and Coulston F, 1971. The response of the hypothalamus to high doses of MSG in mice and monkeys - cytochemistry and ultrastructural study of lysosomal changes. Experimental and Molecular Pathology, 15, 43–60.
China Science Daily. PK of MONOSG and chicken essence[EB/OL]. [2015-01-06]
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