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Glutamate approvals
For nearly a century, monosodium glutamate has been used safely
and effectively in the food supply. Because monosodium glutamate is
used widely as a food ingredient, a great deal of research has been
completed on its safety and efficacy. Hundreds of scientific studies have
been conducted on glutamate with the focus on its use as a food ingredient.
This extensive research, conducted and
reviewed by scientists and regulatory agencies around the world,
combined with its long history of use, clearly demonstrates that
monosodium glutamate is safe.
In the United States, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is considered to
be a common food ingredient, like salt, baking powder and pepper.
It is included in the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's)
Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list. This listing means
that monosodium glutamate is safe for its intended use.
The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations state, "It is impracticable
to list all substances that are generally recognized as safe for
their intended use. However, by way of illustration, the Commissioner
(of the FDA) regards such common food ingredients as salt, pepper, vinegar,
baking powder and monosodium glutamate as safe for their intended use."
Monosodium glutamate is also approved by governments world-wide,
including those in Europe, Japan and other Asian countries, North
and South America, Africa and Australia and New Zealand.
In 1987, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the
World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that monosodium glutamate
was safe. The committee decided that it was not necessary to set a
numerical "Acceptable Daily Intake." Numerical Acceptable Daily
Intakes are sometimes used as a guide to maximum safe levels of
consumption of food additives.
In 1991, the European Commission's Scientific Committee for Food
(SCF) reaffirmed the safety of monosodium glutamate. The SCF also
found that it was unnecessary to set a numerical Acceptable Daily
Intake.
In its 1995 report to the FDA, following a comprehensive
review of monosodium glutamate scientific literature, the Federation
of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) concluded
that there is no difference between the naturally occurring free
glutamate found in mushrooms, cheese and tomatoes and the manufactured
free glutamate found in MSG, hydrolyzed proteins and soy sauce. The
report concluded that monosodium glutamate is safe for the
general population.
More information about the worldwide regulatory approval of monosodium glutamate
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