
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, September 1, 1995                   TAG: 9509010083
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

FOR MOST PEOPLE, MSG SAFE TO EAT, FDA REPORT SAYS

Pass the mu shu pork, please. A new Food and Drug Administration report released Thursday concludes that MSG - the controversial flavor-enhancer often added to Chinese food - is safe to eat, finding that it causes a mild reaction in only a tiny portion of the population.

The report, prepared by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, said that there is no scientific evidence that any ``free glutamate,'' the chemical family to which MSG belongs, causes or aggravates severe disease. However, the report cautioned that MSG, or monosodium glutamate, could exacerbate problems for people with severe asthma.

In connection with the favorable MSG report, the FDA announced Thursday that it will require only foods that contain ``significant amounts'' of the product to be labeled as such. It did not give any details on which foods will fall under the new MSG guidelines.

Currently, foods must be specifically labeled as containing MSG only when the chemical itself is added to the product and not when a glutamate is naturally found in foods or in other ingredients contained in the product. MSG - a sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid used for building proteins - is found naturally in tomatoes, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese.

Complaints about MSG first surfaced in the late 1960s, when opponents of it claimed it caused a wide variety of health problems, including headaches, Alzheimer's disease and even death.

``I'm appalled,'' said Jack Samuels, president of the Truth in Labeling organization, an Illinois group that has filed a lawsuit against the FDA seeking to require labeling of all MSG contained in food. ``They are disregarding the public health of millions of Americans.''

Samuels, who blames MSG for exacerbating his blood pressure problems, added: ``By only disclosing certain levels of MSG, they are caving in to the food industry. There is no scientific study that can tell us what level of MSG is safe.''

While the FDA study found no long-term medical problems, it said that some individuals will develop ``MSG Symptom Complex,'' a short-term reaction that often includes headaches, numbness, tingling sensations and heart palpitations, if they consume over 3 grams of the additive per meal. In addition, some asthma patients may suffer breathing spasms.

The average person eats a half gram of glutamates a day.

The study, the most comprehensive review to date, was commissioned in September 1992, in response to lingering questions about the safety of MSG. But FDA studies have repeatedly concluded that MSG is safe for most people. The latest report recommends that future studies be targeted at specific segments of the population such as asthmatics.

by CNB