We don’t think E numbers are deliberately befuddling, but given that full chemical names of food additives won’t fit most food labels, abbreviations became necessary. If you see E621 or monosodium glutamate in the ingredients of any food, that in itself is totally vegan. It’s not like a lot of other food additives and E numbers, in the sense that you have to be careful about anti-caking agents and weird names like tartaric acid. In fact, there are lots of ways to produce MSG and all of them are vegan, so it will never be derived from animals or animal fats, which is reassuring. Though it gets added to plenty of commercially prepared foods that are not suitable for vegans, it isn’t the MSG that makes them out of bounds. It is produced without animal origin, via bacterial fermentation in plants. The general public has remained wary of MSG, with many believing there to be links to obesity, headaches and toxicity, but these are seemingly unfounded and have led to MSG being unfairly maligned. It is subject to stringent transparency in terms of food labels, however, being excluded from being listed as a herb or spice for fear of being misleading.
The FDA says yes and that unless consumption is beyond excessive, no side effects should be reasonably expected. One of the more powerful flavour enhancers, MSG amplifies savoury and umami notes, and though it can be found naturally in tomatoes and cheese, there has long been scepticism about adding it to food. To look at, MSG is unexciting, being a standard issue white powder that gets tossed into food as it cooks, but it’s what it does that makes it fascinating. What if we told you that it is most famous for being added, often in large quantities to Chinese food and is what gives the favourite takeaway its signature moreish quality? Now it’s all starting to make sense, isn’t it? If we were to tell you that MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, that probably wouldn’t enlighten you much. But what is it, can vegans eat it and is there such a thing as too much? A closer look at MSG You’ve probably consumed a lot of E621 in your lifetime, without realising or being too concerned about it, but was that wise, and is it vegan?Į621, or monosodium glutamate (MSG), as you probably know it, is an infamous food additive that garners as much enthusiastic support as it does suspicion and caution.
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