The glutamate in monosodium glutamate is not identical to the glutamate found in plants and animals. The glutamate in monosodium glutamate contains L-glutamic acid, D-glutamic acid, pyroglutamic acid and other contaminants. But there is no D-glutamic acid, pyroglutamic acid, or other contaminants in the protein found in plants and animals. The glutamate in plants and animals is L-glutamic acid, only. (See http://www.truthinlabeling.org/manufac.htm)

Simply stated, truly natural glutamate is L-glutamic acid, only. Processed, fermented, or manufactured glutamate contains L-glutamic acid plus other chemicals.

The glutamate in monosodium glutamate is toxic. It kills brain cells in laboratory animals, causing the most harm to the youngest animals. When given to infant animals, it also causes gross obesity, reproductive disorders, and learning disabilities later in life. (See http://www.truthinlabeling.org/humansatrisk.htm)

The glutamate in monosodium glutamate also causes adverse reactions in humans. Those reactions can be mild or severe. They can come and go quickly, or be long lasting. Migraine headache is the reaction most often reported. (Analysis of Adverse Reactions to Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) July, 1995. Pages 78-81. Life Science Research Office, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Bethesda, MD.) Reports of cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), and asthma are increasing dramatically. A general feeling of malaise - fatigue, loss of energy, fuzzy thinking, and, sometimes, depression -- seems to accompany most reactions. You'll find the collected reports of adverse reactions at http://www.truthinlabeling.org/adversereactions.htm

The glutamate in monosodium glutamate is also implicated in a variety of human disorders including addiction, stroke, epilepsy, degenerative disorders such as ALS, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, brain trauma, neuropathic pain, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. Researcher are spending millions of dollar yearly to develop drugs to block the effects of toxic glutamate.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), consumers refer to all free glutamic acid as MSG.

The Truth in Labeling Campaign believes that consumers have the right to know what is in their food. With that in mind, we invite you to visit

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/

http://www.holisticmed.com/

http://www.annapolis.net/members/holland/

http://www.magicnet.net/%7Ebtnature/

http://thelighthousepress.com/

http://www.msgmyth.com/

Contrast what you read there with what the glutamate industry has to say about the safety of monosodium glutamate. The Glutamate Association http://www.msgfacts.com/bandb/facts.cfm and the International Food Information Council (IFIC) http://ificinfo.health.org/brochure/msg.htm have prominent pages designed to convince consumers that their product, the ingredient called monosodium glutamate, is safe. Note, for example, how they deceptively talk about the glutamate content of truly natural/unprocessed food as though the glutamate in that truly natural/unprocessed food were identical to the glutamate that causes brain damage migraine headache, etc.

The Glutamate Association is a corporation formed by Ajinomoto, a Japanese company. Members include, or used to include, Ajinomoto USA, Inc., Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., Campbell Soup Company, Corn Products Corporation, Thomas J. Lipton, Inc., McCormick & Co., Inc., Pet Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Takeda, and Tri-State Specialties Incorporated Seasonings. According to the Encyclopedia of Associations, IFIC represents the interests of the glutamate industry. The Campbell Soup Company often advertises "No MSG" on labels of soups that contain processed free glutamic acid (MSG).

We hope you will want to learn more about the toxicity of processed free glutamic acid (MSG) and where it is hidden in food. Questions and comments can be addressed to the Truth in Labeling Campaign at adandjack@aol.com