These are MY last words on the subject  From: lundby@rtsg.mot.com (Walter F. Lundby) writes:   > As a person who is very sensitive to msg and whose wife and kids are > too, I WANT TO KNOW WHY THE FOOD INDUSTRY WANTS TO PUT MSG IN FOOD!!!  Some people think it enhances the flavor.  I personally don't think it helps the taste, it makes me sick, so I try to avoid it.  > From: dyer@spdcc.com (Steve Dyer) writes:  > Sez you.  Such an effect in humans has not been demonstrated in any > controlled studies.  Infant mice and other models are useful as far > as they go, but they're not relevant to the matter at hand.  Which is > not to say that I favor its use in things like baby food--a patently > ridiculous use of the additive.  But we have no reason to believe > that MSG in the diet effects humans adversely.  Well, I know that MSG effects ME adversely - maybe not permanently but at least temporarily enough that I like to try to avoid the stuff.  > From: kiran@village.com (Kiran Wagle) Writes:  > If you don't like additives, then for godsake,  > get off the net and learn to cook from scratch.  Sheesh.  EXCUSE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!  Why can't people learn to cook from scratch *ON* the net.  I've gotten LOTS of recipes off the net that don't use additives.  If you LIKE additives then get off the net and go to your local supermarket, buy lots of packaged foods, and YOU get OFF THE NET!!  > >IS IT TO COVER UP THE FACT THAT THE RECIPES ARE NOT VERY GOOD  > >OR THE FOOD IS POOR QUALITY? >  > Yes, and YOU buy it.  Says something about your taste, eh?  I don't!!  >  > And what happens when the companies forced to submit to your silly notions > go out of business because nobody wants to buy their overpriced bad food?  > (Removing preservatives directly raises food costs by reducing shelf life.)  HEY - I'll pay *MY* hard earned dollars to buy food that costs more but does NOT have preservatives.  I choose to speak with my pocketbook in many ways.  > From: kiran@village.com (Kiran Wagle)  > You have a good point.  MSG is commonly used in soups, in bottled > sauces, in seasoning mixtures, and in the coating on barbecue potato > chips.    Nacho cheese Doritos, breading for MANY frozen fried foods (like fish and chicken), etc. ad naseum.  > If MSG is really the problem, we should call this "barbecue potato > chip syndrome" or maybe "diner syndrome."     Or the "and other natural flavorings syndrome."  It's been a few years since I've bought anything labelled with "and other natural flavorings".    > From: kiran@village.com (Kiran Wagle)  > >THE REACTION CAME THE TIME THE MSG WAS IN THE FOOD > >THAT WAS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE > >SAME RESTAURANT - SAME INGREDIENTS!!! >  > How do you know this? >  > In order to demonstrate your claim, you would have had to supervise the > preparation on both occasions.  Perhaps they used MSG both times, and lied > about it.  Perhaps once they used something that had begun to spoil, and > produced some bizarre toxin that you're allergic to.   Well, I had had similar reactions many times.  That was when I really started WATCHING CAREFULLY - reaction to Doritos - hey guess what's in there - reaction to Lawry's season salt - guess what's in THERE  I'll give you a hint - I've had enough problems with MANY MANY MANY different products with MSG that I figured out one thing.  UNLESS I plan on getting sick - I won't eat the stuff without my Seldane.  And did I ever learn to read labels.  > PLEASE note that I am NOT saying you are making it up, I am just > trying to point out that the situation is not always as simple as it > might seem.    Which was why I started checking EVERY time I got sick.  And EVERY time I got sick MSG was somehow involved in one of the food products. And consider there were no other similar ingredients (to my knowledge) - it might not please a medical researcher - but it pleased my own personal physician enough for him to give me allergy medicine and MOST IMPORTANTLY it's enough proof for ME to avoid it (and enough proof that my INCREDIBLY frugal fiance didn't flinch when I literally threw out or gave away all the food products in his pantry that had msg - and he always flinches when there's waste - but it was a simple explanation - I won't eat this stuff, I WON'T cook with this stuff, so I can either throw it out or give it away.)  > From: pattee@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Donna Pattee)  > My guess was that the spice mix on the fries contained MSG,   Probably Lawry's seasoning salt.  I LOVE the way that tastes.    I'm not saying I NEVER consume ANYTHING with MSG.  I've noticed that I have a certain tolerance level - like a (small) bag of bbq chips once a month or so it not a problem - but that same bag of chips will bother me if I also had chicken bouillon yesterday and lunch at one of the Chinese restaurants the day before.    > From: kelley@healthy.uwaterloo.ca (Catherine L. Kelley) > >  > All that's needed now is that final step, a double-blind study done > on humans.  There isn't even an ethical question about "possible > harm", as this is a widely used and approved food additive.  But - some say that only 2% of the population has a problem with MSG - some say it's more like 20% - but let's say that it's 5%.  How many people would have to be tested that would have a problem?  Also - I KNOW I have a problem with it, and I wouldn't VOLUNTEER for a test. Like thanks guys but I don't WANT to get sick.  Also - I'm sure that most people probably have varying degrees of sensitivities at different times.  If I have a cold I'm MUCH more susceptible to the reaction than when I'm healthy (as proven today - when I'm stuffy but for some silly reason I still gave in and decided to have the BBQ chips ;}).  > From: kiran@village.com (Kiran Wagle)  > Because too many of you (generic rhetorical 'you,' not 'you Cathy') go > around calling this "Chinese restaurant syndrome," thus suggesting to the > people you complain to that you experience this ONLY from Chinese food.  > MSG is prevalent in a LOT more things than Chinese food--thats why I > suggested calling this "Diner syndrome."    Cathy doesn't - I haven't saved all my postings but I NEVER called it "chinese restaurant syndrome" and I NEVER stated I got it only from Chinese food.  I just thought it would be easiest to conduct my personal test at a Chinese take out place that I knew would hold (or not hold) the MSG.  I can't call up whoever makes Doritos and ask them to make me ONE back of chips without MSG.  > On the other hand, if one complains about potatoes from a mix, or > restaurant spice mixes, I'm going to believe them, and if anyone says they > got (MSG-)sick after eating too many barbecue potato chips at a party, I'm > REALLY going to believe them.    Well, I believe I mentioned that in an earlier post   Let's see you wrote this message at  Date: 20 Apr 1993 00:09:31 -0500  but on   Date: 19 Apr 1993 16:33:18 GMT  I wrote:  > >Has anyone had an MSG reaction from something *other than* a > >Chinese restaurant?    > LOTS of times - that's why it was so hard for me to pin down.  I > would probably have been EASIER if I'd only have the reaction in a > certain type of restaurant but I've had the reaction in Chinese > restaurants and Greek restaurants and Italian restaurants and Steak > places (I can tell you when a steak joint uses Accent to tenderize > their meat).     OH - and just in case anyone thinks I'm prejudice against either Chinese food or Asian people - I'm not going home to cook some Chinese food for the guy I'm marrying next week.  Incidentally, his last name is Wu.  SO STOP IT WITH THE FLAME MAIL  -- Why does a woman work ten years to change a man's habits and then  complain that he's not the man she married?       -- Barbra Streisand