Ajinomoto, Truth and Facts

Ajinomoto (MSG)-What we Think, What is Reality

I was invited to attend a seminar on truth and facts of Ajinomoto on 29^th march 2017. It is an interesting event to attend as I didn’t know much about it. During the seminar Mr. Atsushi Mishuku, Director and General Manager of Ajinomoto India Pvt Ltd gave a brief introduction about the product. Mr. Govinda Biswas, Manager Marketing, who briefed us about the MSG, the product, process of manufacturing and benefits. Dr. Dharini Krishnan, president of Indian Dietetic Association, who was also on dais, gave the details presence and benefits of MSG.

 After that a young nutrition/ dietician DT Devisri Sundaram informed the benefits of Ajinomoto

Umami or savory taste is one of the five basic tastes. It is discovered by Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, a chemist in the year 1908. New taste umami through taste receptors specific to glutamate. Glutamate is widely present in savory foods such as broth and fermented products and commonly added to some foods in the form of monosodium glutamate. Glutamate is present in breast milk also.

Ajinomoto is the brand name owned by Ajinomoto Co. Inc, Japan for its very popular umami taste seasoning MSG. It was first marketed in the year 1909 in Japan. The meaning of Aji-No-Moto in Japanese “Essence of taste”. Ajinomoto is MSG which is glutamic acid + 1 molecule of sodium. It is a pure vegetarian product obtained from sugar cane and tapioca. Sugar cane goes to the factory where sugar cane juice or molasses extracted. Then molasses is fermented to get glutamic acid. This glutamic acid crystallized to obtain msg. Then these crystals are packeted and sold as ajinimoto.

Msg contains 12% of sodium but in normal salt this percentage is 39%. So msg is having 1/3 of sodium than normal salt. In clinical trial it is said that glutamate is an importance substance of efficient protein digestion and absorption. Glutamate receptor cells in stomach gives a feeling of enoughness which makes one to avoid excess eating and helps to avoid obesity. Different food safety organizations state that MSG and use of MSG isn’t bad for the health.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given MSG its generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designation. A popular belief is that large doses of MSG can cause headaches and other feelings of discomfort, known as "Chinese restaurant syndrome", but double-blind tests fail to find evidence of such a reaction. The European Union classifies it as a food additive permitted in certain foods and subject to quantitative limits. MSG has the HS code 29224220 and the E number E621. (Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate)

But again here comes the question why there is such hue and cry about the product. Why people are not using MSG is their daily life. Why such negative publicity regarding the product. Though it’s a safe product to take there need a lot of awareness and tutorial for public to accept the product. Lots of baby steps should be taken regarding this concept.

The Seminar too had the added attraction of live cooking by Dr. Chef Vinoth Kumar, CEO Of Sai Institution. He gave a cooking demo using the product ajinomoto. He prepared Paneer 65. Here is the recipe

Cottage Cheese- 250gms

Dry Red Chillies- 25gms

Black Pepper Corn- 15gms

Coriander Seeds- 10gms

Ginger- 25gms

Garlic- 25gms

Rice Flour- 2tbsp

Lemon Juice- 1tbsp

Plain Yoghurt- 1cup

Salt- to taste

Ajinomoto- 10gms

Sesame Seeds

Vermicelli

Mix dry red chilli, black pepper corn, coriander seeds, garlic, ginger and grind them to make a paste for marination.

Take a bowl add paste, rice flour, salt, ajinomoto, lemon juice and yoghurt

Coat the pieces of cottage cheese

Soak the cottage cheese in roasted vermicelli for 15 mins

Heat oil in a wok deep fry the soaked cottage cheese

Serve hot with mint chutney