Food additive · Flavor enhancer
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- E-number
- E621
- CAS
- 142-47-2
The sodium salt of glutamate, an amino acid found naturally in tomatoes, cheese and broth; it adds a savory (umami) taste.
- Food additive
- Flavor enhancer
- Ultra-processing marker
- Expert review pending
Concern level
A minor or very limited concern, such as being an ultra-processing marker only. The concern level sets how many points monosodium glutamate (MSG) costs on a product’s receipt.
What the evidence says
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Low concernStrong evidence
The FDA considers MSG generally recognized as safe; some sensitive people report mild, short-lived symptoms after 3 g or more without food. EFSA set a group ADI of 30 mg/kg body weight for glutamates. [1][2]
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Marker of ultra-processingInfo
An additive class typical of ultra-processed foods (NOVA group 4). [3]
Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.
Rules around the world
| Where | Status | Details | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Permitted | Generally recognized as safe; must be listed as monosodium glutamate. | — | [1] |
| European Union | Permitted | Permitted (E 621); EFSA group ADI 30 mg/kg body weight per day. | — | [2] |
“Banned” means explicitly prohibited or withdrawn after review; “not permitted” means never authorized there. We use each regulator’s own words.
Popular products that list monosodium glutamate (MSG)
414 of the 17,000 most-scanned products in the US with a GoodSwap page list monosodium glutamate (MSG). The 12 most scanned:
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Ramen Noodle Soup Chicken Flavor Maruchan · 85 g Score 15 out of 100 Bad -
Crunchy Cheetos · 1 oz (28.3 g) Score 52 out of 100 Okay -
Nacho Cheese Flavored Doritos Doritos · 9.25 oz (262.2 g) Score 15 out of 100 Bad -
Nacho Cheese Doritos · 1 oz (28.3 g) Score 22 out of 100 Poor -
Original Seasoned Pretzel Twists Dot's Homestyle Pretzels · 35 oz Score 30 out of 100 Poor -
The Original Ranch Condiment & Dressing Hidden Valley · 16 fl oz Score 27 out of 100 Poor -
Seasoned Pretzel Twists Dot's Homestyle Pretzels · 454 g Score 28 out of 100 Poor -
Chicken Noodle Campbell's · 10.75 oz Score 41 out of 100 Okay -
Original Light Pringles · 5.5 oz / 158 g Score 15 out of 100 Bad -
Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup Nissin · 3 oz Score 27 out of 100 Poor - Instant Lunch, Ramen Noodles With Vegetables, Chicken Maruchan · 2.25 oz/64 g Score 28 out of 100 Poor
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Cream Of Mushroom Soup Campbell's · 10.5 oz (298 g) Score 60 out of 100 Good
Diets and allergens
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
- Gluten-free
- Yes
For the ingredient in general. Always check the package: a product’s own labels win.
Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (20)
- msg
- e621
- glutamate
- sodium glutamate
- flavor enhancer msg
- msg flavor enhancer
- flavor enhancer e621
- flavour enhancer msg
- monosodium glutamate
- flavour enhancer e621
- glutamate monosodique
- flavour enhancers e621
- monosodium l glutamate
- monosodium glutamate msg
- flavor enhancer sodium glutamate
- flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate
- monosodium glutamate flavor enhancer
- flavor enhancers monosodium glutamate
- flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate
- flavour enhancers monosodium glutamate
Sources
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Questions and Answers on Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
“FDA considers the addition of MSG to foods to be “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS).”
fda.gov
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EFSA reviews safety of glutamates added to food
“EFSA re-assessed the safety of glutamates used as food additives and derived a group acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 30 mg/kg body weight per day for all six of these additives.”
efsa.europa.eu