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No standard method to find 'added MSG' in food products: Food scientists
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Libin Chacko Kurian, Mumbai
May 29 , 2015
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Food scientists in the country are questioning the credibility of
testing food products to find 'added Monosodium Glutamate' (MSG) and
authenticity of such recent claims by food safety authorities in light
of the recent case of Maggi noodles.
In a serious blow to the
food safety authorities of the country, which claim to have detected
'added MSG' in some products and in a mission mode to find more, food
technologists underlined that there is no standard method to
differentiate between 'added MSG' and the naturally occurring glutamate
in any food product, though the high content of lead found in the sample
is a serious concern. In fact, there is no regulation to control the
naturally occurring MSG in a food product.
In the
above-mentioned recent case, Uttar Pradesh Food Safety & Drugs
Administration (UP FSDA) had detected presence of MSG and lead in
samples of Maggi noodles beyond permissible limits.
Apart from
triggering nationwide testings by respective FDAs and FDCAs, the case
has brought into focus the issue of 'added MSG.’ However, experts feel
that the issue will die down soon, as there is no way to find ‘added
MSG’ nor are there any regulations in place to control it. Further,
Maggi noodles, manufactured by Nestle, do have ingredients such as
hydrolysed vegetable protein, that can produce glutamate naturally. Also
scientists and technologists have acknowledged that it is a smart
strategy adopted by Nestle to have MSG in its products, while claiming
“no added MSG.”
Harshdeep Kamble, FDA commissioner of
Maharashtra, acknowledged the fact that there is no scientific method to
differentiate between 'added MSG' and naturally occurred one in a
recent meeting of scientific community. He stated, “We need and will to
work together with scientists and technologists to develop any such
laboratory technique or method for further regulations and
implementation which would definitely help in transparency.”
Meanwhile,
Sanjeev Sharma, a food technologist and owner of Food Pathshala (an
online food safety portal), said, “There is no standard method, at least
in India, to detect 'added MSG' in any food product because the
glutamate in MSG is chemically indistinguishable from glutamate present
in food proteins. MSG occurs naturally in ingredients such as hydrolysed
vegetable protein, autolysed yeast, hydrolysed yeast, yeast extract,
soy extracts, and protein isolate, as well as in tomatoes and cheeses.
And there is no regulation by Food Safety and Standards Authority of
India (FSSAI) to control the naturally occurring glutamate.”
Himanshu
Manglik, spokesperson, Nestle India, explained, “We do not add MSG to
our Maggi noodles sold in India and this is stated on the concerned
product. However, we use hydrolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and
wheat flour to make Maggi noodles sold in India, which contain
glutamate. We believe that the authorities’ tests may have detected
glutamate, which occurs naturally in many foods. We have in place strict
food safety and quality controls at our Maggi factories, including
thorough quality checks at each stage of our raw material sourcing and
manufacturing process.”
The only regulation on MSG by FSSAI
read, “Every advertisement for and/or a package of food containing added
Monosodium Glutamate shall carry the following declaration, namely,
This package of (name of the food contains added) Monosodium Glutamate.”
In fact, US FDA has a regulation which reads, “foods with any
ingredient that naturally contains MSG cannot claim “No MSG” or “No
added MSG” on their packaging,” which controls the naturally occurring
MSG in food products. But no such regulations are present in the FSSAI
norms.
Nilesh Lele, secretary, Association of Food Scientists
and Technologists India (AFSTI), said, “We are not standing with food
safety authorities or the manufacturers of the brand in this issue of
MSG, in fact, high level of lead found in the sample is the real issue.
We need to find a proper solution by developing a scientific method to
detect 'added MSG' and should also have the right regulations to control
any food safety violations. In the same time no regulations should be
misused, which could be counter-productive. In case of Maggi noodles, it
has already affected the sales and image of the brand.”
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