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Monosodium Glutamate is a spice added to many ready-made groceries and dishes. It is called a flavor enhancer and is marked with the symbol E 621. It is an amino acid that occurs naturally in some foods and in the human body. In a synthetic form, it is added to dishes to enhance their taste. Industrially produced pure monosodium glutamate is in the form of white crystals and is the sodium salt of glutamic acid.
In the Far East kitchen monosodium glutamate has been used for centuries as a food ingredient to enhance them taste attributes. In its original form monosodium glutamate was obtained from powdered seaweed called Japanese leaf, also known as kombu. The taste of the spice obtained from this plant was and is highly appreciated by gourmets of Asian cuisine – it has been called umami (delicious). This taste is the result of a unique chemical compound found in the Japanese leaf – glutamine sodaand more specifically glutamic acid. In the twentieth century, this compound was isolated in the laboratory, and thus purified production began monosodium glutamate, which is now a well-known spice.
Now monosodium glutamate is produced industrially in three ways. It can be obtained from products with a high protein content (e.g., gluten, albumin, casein and post-extraction meals which are a by-product of food processing), which are subjected to a chemical acid hydrolysis process. The second way sourcing glutamine soda are decoctions obtained in the sugar manufacturing process, for example from sugar beet or sugar cane. Third way manufacturing glutamine soda is the biosynthesis of carbohydrates. Various strains of bacteria, specially cultivated for this purpose, are used in the biosynthesis process.
The use of monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate it is added to ready-made sauces, canned fish and meat, to spices and instant soups. It can also be found in many other food products such as sausages, pates, stock cubes, cold cuts and fast food products, to which it is added as a flavor and aroma enhancer.
Advantages and disadvantages of monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate enhances the taste and smell of dishes and gives them a unique aroma. It is a compound that occurs naturally in some foods and in the human body. Monosodium glutamate it is also found in breast milk, hence the natural inclination towards it, psychologically conditioned by pleasant, positive memories from early childhood. Smak umami tied with monosodium glutamate is referred to as broth, meat or mushroom, and as a unique combination of flavors that cannot be clearly classified as either sweet, bitter, sour or salty – it is a unique combination of four basic flavors. Naturally occurring glutamic acid (for example in milk mothers) protects the mucous membranes of the newborn, is a neurotransmitter and a source of nitrogen. The same is the case with glutamine soda found naturally in products such as cheese, milk and mushrooms.
The problem arises in the case of glutamine soda synthetically obtained and added to dishes that do not have high taste or nutritional value. Perhaps the harmfulness is attributed monosodium glutamate it is not related to the food itself, but to the fact that it improves the taste of food whose consumption has no greater nutritional value, and sometimes it is even inadvisable.
Is monosodium glutamate harmful to health?
No harmful effects were found in clinical trials glutamine soda for one’s health. However, its excessive his consumption can lead to unpleasant symptoms such as dizziness, increased heart rate and palpitations, feeling restless and sweating. In hypersensitive people monosodium glutamate may cause allergic reactions, but as this spice is added to various dishes, including those containing allergenic ingredients, it cannot be ruled out that the source of allergens is not monosodium glutamateand other ingredients of the dish or food product.