McDonald's doesn't use MSG in its food that is on the national menu, and there are no updates from the company yet on whether the Crispy Chicken Sandwiches will be added to the menu permanently. McDonald's has been making strides to use purer ingredients in its food.
Additionally, fast-food chains like McDonald's, Chick-fill-A, and KFC use MSG to season menu items like fried chicken, chicken nuggets, and fries (16, 17, 18). MSG is naturally present in many foods, including some cheeses, meats, and vegetables.
It also has an equally familiar-sounding ingredient: monosodium glutamate, or MSG. McDonald's doesn't currently use MSG in the other items that compose its regular, nationally available menu—but both Chick-fil-A and Popeyes list it as an ingredient in their own chicken sandwiches and chicken filets.
How can I know if there is MSG in my food? FDA requires that foods containing added MSG list it in the ingredient panel on the packaging as monosodium glutamate.
Condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, mustard, and salad dressings have been known to contain MSG to boost flavor. Many types of chips and related snacks include MSG to enhance the salty, savory flavors that they're known for.
Beside its flavour enhancing effects, MSG has been associated with various forms of toxicity (Figure 1(Fig. 1)). MSG has been linked with obesity, metabolic disorders, Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, neurotoxic effects and detrimental effects on the reproductive organs.
An excessive consumption of MSG can cause a "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" and gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers. Therefore, the maximum dose of MSG should be reconsidered taking into account its influence on the secretory capacity of the stomach.
“In Australia and New Zealand, no food additive - including MSG - is approved for use in food until its safety has been established by FSANZ. “MSG and other glutamates are among a group of food additives that are generally permitted in foods, due to their safety.”
MSG can go by these and many other synonymous names as well, including monosodium salt, monohydrate, monosodium glutamate, monosodium glutamate monohydrate, monosodium L-glutamate monohydrate, MSG monohydrate, sodium glutamate monohydrate, UNII-W81N5U6R6U, L-Glutamic acid, monosodium salt, and monohydrate.
KFC confirmed on its website that it uses MSG. “Some of our food does contain MSG but rest assured, it's only present at levels that are safe for the general population,” the fast food giant states on its website.
AGRA: The pre-mixed spices used for preparing chicken items at Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) reportedly contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), says Agra's food safety and drug administration (FSDA).
The popular food brand Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), a food laboratory in Hyderabad found Monosodium Glutamate above permissible limits.
McDonald's doesn't use MSG in its food that is on the national menu, and there are no updates from the company yet on whether the Crispy Chicken Sandwiches will be added to the menu permanently. McDonald's has been making strides to use purer ingredients in its food.
The FDA requires all manufacturers of processed foods to label whether or not they contain MSG, but restaurants are not required to disclose such information.
MSG-induced symptoms are typically not severe and subside on their own entirely within 72 hours. 1 However, if you have mild symptoms do not appear to resolve or continue worsening after 48 hours, speak to your healthcare provider, as it may be something more serious.
MSG has been shown to cause lesions on the brain especially in children. These lesions cause cognitive, endocrinological and emotional abnormalities. In children, excess glutamate affects the growth cones on neurons.
It's a big part of protein-rich foods like meat, eggs and cheese, but is also found in fruits and vegetables. And, it is what's responsible for giving foods the umami (savory) flavor that makes them taste delicious.
Here's the good news: MSG contains two-thirds less the amount of sodium compared to table salt, so if you're looking to lower your sodium intake, reaching for MSG to flavor your food can help you eat less sodium.
In Australia, the FSANZ standards require that MSG be marked as the following on nutritional labels as 'Flavour enhancer (MSG)' or 'Flavour enhancer (621)'.
Mainland China is largely responsible for the recent increases in world production and consumption of MSG. Currently, mainland China is the world's largest MSG producer and consumer. In 2021, mainland Chinese production and consumption accounted for the majority of both world production and consumption.
Many doctors argue that an individual can be allergic to MSG because the “allergic response” is not IgE-mediated. IgE is an antibody that triggers an allergic reaction in the immune system. Since symptoms related to MSG do not involve the immune system, it cannot be called a true allergy.
MSG enhances the flavour of salty, savoury foods and is lower in sodium than salt – it contains only a third of the amount of sodium you would find in salt. Researchers have recently found that including MSG in food may even help reduce excessive salt intake, which can contribute to cardiovascular disease.
After eating meals prepared with MSG, people with MSG sensitivity may have migraine headache, visual disturbance, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, tightness of the chest, skin rash, or sensitivity to light, noise, or smells.