MSG Milk
Marilyn:
The dietitian who claimed that MSG was not in milk needs to be better
informed. Clearly, she is using the glutamate and food industry improper
approach wherein they consider the term "MSG" to only refer to the
food ingredient "monosodium glutamate."
Many MSG-sensitive individuals consider the term "MSG" to include
any and all glutamic acid that has been freed from protein through a
manufacturing process because they experience the same adverse reactions from
such glutamic acid as they do from the processed free glutamic acid found in
the food ingredient "monosodium glutamate," providing that they
ingest amounts that exceed their tolerances for such substances. (There
are currently over 40 ingredients that include such free glutamic acid.)
This fact is acknowledged by the FDA in their "FDA Backgrounder,"
dated August 31, 1995, a document that is still in use and available on
Internet.
You will note on our Web site (http://www.truthinlabeling.org/)
that, when referring to the term "MSG," we define it as
"processed free glutamic acid." You will also note that
published peer reviewed studies clearly show that the glutamic acid found in
unprocessed, unadulterated products is different from processed free glutamic
acid (MSG). See www.truthinlabeling.org/manufac.html
There is processed free glutamic acid (MSG) in many dairy products. We
strongly suspect that the presence of MSG in many dairy products has resulted
in adverse reactions in many people, leading many of them to erroneously
believe that they are lactose intolerant. It is our strong belief that
if the dairy industry would eliminate the use of processed free glutamic acid
(MSG) from dairy products, reports of lactose intolerance would drop
dramatically, and dairy sales would increase.
Now, a discussion of where MSG is found in dairy products.
Powdered milk includes some processed free glutamic acid (MSG) as an
inevitable result of the way in which the powder is manufactured. Many,
but not all reduced fat milks are made from powdered milk. Also, if a
milk does not meet state requirements, a dairy will fortify its milk with a
powdered milk to bring the milk within state requirements. This is most
common in California, a state with very high milk standards, particularly
during heat spells when cows tend to drink more water.
The dairy
industry appears to be rapidly turning to a pasteurization process identified
on product labels as "ultra pasteurized." The higher heat used
in this process appears to break down more of the milk protein than occurs in
normal pasteurization, resulting in a level of processed free glutamic acid
(MSG) that is causing adverse reactions in a number of MSG-sensitive
individuals.
Any fermented
product will contain some processed free glutamic acid because fermentation
will break down protein. If citric acid is used in the yoghourt and the citric
acid is made from corn (the most common source of citric acid), there will be
some MSG introduced into the product because in manufacturing citric acid, a
remnant of protein remains and that remnant is broken down during production.
If the yoghourt includes aspartame (about 40% aspartic acid), the product is
contraindicated for MSG-sensitive people since aspartic acid, based on animal
studies, works in the body in the same way as does glutamic acid.
Many
MSG-sensitive people find that they suffer adverse reactions from domestic
cheeses that use pasteurized milk in place of raw milk, and enzymes instead of
rennet. Apparently, the new, more powerful enzymes break down more of
the milk protein than was the case in earlier years.
The most common
problem for MSG-sensitive people in dairy products appears to be the use of a
food ingredient identified on food labels as "carrageenan."
Carrageenan may interact with the milk protein in dairy products or may act
independently, resulting in some processed free glutamic acid (MSG).
Carrageenan is found in most whipping cream, chocolate milk, buttermilk, cream
cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and ice cream.
You are welcome
to use this E-mail in any manner that you wish.
Jack Samuels
President
Truth in Labeling Campaign
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/
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