Is MSG gluten free?

I’d always assumed that MSG was gluten free by default, so I was surprised to learn about the gluten-filled history of MSG production! Below, we’ll explain how MSG is produced and why people were concerned that it may have contained gluten. I’ll jump ahead here to reassure you that MSG is entirely safe for Celiacs, and probably always was.

So what is MSG? MSG stands for monosodium glutamate, which is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. It was created by Japanese biochemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908. Kikunae was trying to isolate the pleasant savory taste of kombu, and MSG was born. Glutamic acid is naturally present in a variety of foods, including tomatoes, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, and cheese. Glutamate itself is one of the 23 amino acids that are the building blocks of protein. Our bodies actually manufacture glutamate, which helps to transmit messages between our nerve cells. Interestingly, MSG itself doesn’t have a savory taste, but instead activates the glutamate receptors in the brain. This signals the distinct regions of the brain that cause the experience of the umami taste.

MSG is viewed negatively by some people due to a doctor’s letter from 1968 to the New England Journal of Medicine. In this letter, the doctor coined the term “Chinese restaurant syndrome” and claimed to experience headache, skin flushing, and sweating after eating at Chinese restaurants. This has not been backed up with any reliable studies and a solid connection has not been demonstrated between regular amounts of MSG use and these symptoms. However, there has been a single study that concluded that large doses of MSG taken on an empty stomach can cause reactions in certain people. All told, there’s no reason to avoid eating MSG, as long as you’re not having absurd amounts.

Why would MSG be thought to contain gluten?

Back when MSG was first being mass-produced, it was often made from wheat gluten, which is naturally high in glutamate. Nowadays, MSG is made from sugar beets, sugar cane, molasses, or corn starch. It can also be made directly from it’s elemental components in the lab, so there’s no way that it would contain even trace amounts of gluten.

However, even if MSG was still being made from wheat gluten, it’s so processed that it would no longer contain any intact gluten proteins. If the lab had done such a poor job that gluten proteins are somehow left intact, or the lab had very sloppy cross-contamination processes, there’s theoretically a chance that the MSG would contain over 20ppm gluten. This is a highly unlikely occurence, even back when MSG was consistently made from wheat. But if you’re still nervous that the MSG you’re consuming could possibly be made with wheat, you should know that the FDA and Coeliac UK both confirm that MSG is gluten free and safe for people with Celiac disease to consume, even when it’s made with wheat.

So hopefully this clears up any misconceptions you had about MSG. Feel free to eat those MSG-laced chips and seasonings without worry! In fact, if you want to experiment with adding a pinch to dishes at home, you can order it online. A tiny bit is plenty, so a small package will last you a very long time.