Reducing sodium, not flavor: The MSG solution

For centuries, salt has played a pivotal role in food – from acting as a preservative to a means to bring out flavor. Today, as our understanding of health and nutrition has grown, we also have expanded awareness of the risks associated with excessive sodium intake. These concerns have motivated the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop their voluntary guidelines for reducing sodium levels in packaged and processed foods. An underappreciated solution for the sodium reduction challenges ahead can be found in a centuries-old tool that allows developers to strike a balance between nutrition and great tasting products for their current and future consumers.  

Striking that balance is what the Ajinomoto Group was founded on. Tokyo scientist Dr. Kikunae Ikeda developed the first umami seasoning (monosodium glutamate, or MSG) in 1908 with the intent to enhance the deliciousness of nutritious food. Today, at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc. (AHN), innovators are committed to supporting healthier lives through quality solutions like MSG, manufactured through advanced fermentation technology using quality ingredients such as locally grown corn.

How can MSG be leveraged for sodium reduction?

MSG is the purest form of umami and delivers a delicious savory taste to a variety of foods. Since its discovery, MSG has been used safely as a food ingredient and seasoning around the world, and can help reduce sodium in food products, particularly when it comes to palatability and consumer acceptance.

“While the percentage varies across applications, we’ve been able to achieve up to 30% sodium reductions with MSG,” said Tia M. Rains, PhD, Vice President of Science, Innovation & Corporate Affairs at AHN. “We work with our customers to achieve specific results based on their goals, label requirements, and other parameters.”

AHN has been able to achieve the short-term FDA targets for snack foods such as chips, pretzels, pita chips, and more. But many food categories could also reach their targets from sodium reduction with MSG, including plant-based imitation meat, which is sometimes overlooked as an opportunity. Often, extra sodium is added to plant-based foods to improve palatability. “Consumers may choose a plant-based imitation meat thinking they’re making a healthy choice, and without realizing it, consume nearly a day’s worth of sodium,” said Rains.

Another category that presents, perhaps, the greatest opportunity for meaningful sodium reduction is bread and baked goods, given the fact that many Americans’ dietary patterns include numerous servings of bread or baked goods per day. While simply lowering the sodium content in these foods can make them less appealing to consumers, the addition of MSG has been shown to improve palatability. A study conducted by the University of Illinois utilized a series of taste tests and found that breads formulated to meet the FDA’s long-term sodium goal with added MSG had little to no difference in consumer acceptance compared to full-sodium bread.  This suggests that consumers eating numerous servings of bread per day could see meaningful reductions in daily sodium intake.

Isn’t some salt necessary for functionality?

While there are characteristics of salt that impact functionality, especially in baked goods, Rains says that sodium reduction is possible while maintaining the functional role of salt. “Often, the amount of sodium going into these products isn’t necessary for functionality. It’s being added to impact flavor,” Rains added. “For effective sodium reduction that doesn’t impact flavor or texture, we suggest reducing salt in alignment with the FDA sodium targets and using a small amount of MSG to maintain overall flavor.”

What makes MSG such a powerful tool to reduce sodium is that it doesn’t entirely replace salt – as MSG is part glutamate, part sodium, and it works by enhancing umami taste, as well as the perception of saltiness.

“MSG triggers the umami taste receptor, enhancing umami taste. In effect, this means you don’t perceive a change in saltiness when salt is reduced and umami is enhanced. There’s a synergistic effect between the two taste receptors,” said Rains.

MSG also boosts the perception of other flavors, helping to maintain the overall flavor balance, ensuring foods remain delicious for consumers despite the lower salt content. MSG has successfully been used to lower sodium across a range of food applications like cheese puffs, sauces, dips as well as “better for you” foods, such as quinoa bowls, cauliflower rice, roasted vegetables, and more.

Are there any barriers to the adoption of MSG?

MSG has been used safely and effectively across the globe for more than a century, and its potential to reduce sodium is well-researched. It is considered safe by all major international and federal regulating bodies, so food companies should have no qualms on that account.

Unfortunately, some leading grocery chains are still including MSG on lists of “no-no” ingredients, based on unscientific grounds. In the 1960s, an opinion piece published in the New England Journal of Medicine established a narrative linking MSG to unpleasant symptoms, coining the prejudiced term “Chinese restaurant syndrome.” This narrative dominated for five decades, influencing perceptions despite MSG’s presence in foods that consumers eat every day. Consequently, many brands and restaurants removed MSG due to its perceived negativity.

“Outdated thinking within marketing departments can hinder food scientists from utilizing strategies they have long recognized as effective, like MSG,” said Rains. “Moreover, these same decision-makers often operate under antiquated assumptions about consumer preferences, which further restricts innovation in food research and development.”

However, today, the perception of MSG is changing, especially among younger consumers who have been found to value authenticity and scientific evidence – based on recent consumer data from AHN. Culinary influencers now advocate for its use, and there’s a growing demand for umami-rich flavor enhancers, positioning MSG in a new light within American culture.

What’s on the horizon for sodium reduction?

Sodium reduction is complex, and although there’s not one solution that can address every application within the food industry, it’s crucial that product developers are able to use all the tools at their disposal.

“MSG can also be more cost effective than many of the newer cost-prohibitive sodium reduction options,” said Rains. “The change in perception is opening the door for MSG to be considered in a wide range of applications, which is a win across the board for both product development and the health of consumers.”

By harnessing MSG’s flavor-enhancing properties, food manufacturers can develop reduced-sodium products that meet consumer preferences without compromising on taste. Contact the expert team at AHN today to learn more about sodium-reduction solutions.