Is MSG toxic if heated at high temperature?

When we cook, we usually add MSG after the dishes are cooked. Because MSG will decompose under high temperatures, causing the taste to deteriorate and even posing a health risk to us. Experts recommend that we should eat less MSG on a regular basis. If we need to enhance the flavor, we can use a small amount of MSG, but too much MSG can cause damage. So, will MSG be toxic if heated at high temperatures?

1. What is MSG

MSG, also known as monosodium glutamate, is a modern condiment made from grains by microbial fermentation.

MSG, also known as monosodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamate, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified MSG as generally recognized as safe, while the European Union considers it a food additive.

Glutamic acid is an amino acid needed by the human body and is widely present in various foods, but it does not increase the flavor of food. Only after being extracted can it become a free amino acid salt and add flavor to food.

In addition, glutamate is one of the basic components of protein. In addition to MSG, the various proteins we eat also produce a large amount of glutamate after digestion and absorption.

2. Will heated MSG cause cancer?

There is a rumor that when monosodium glutamate (MSG) is heated to above 120°C, it will produce pyroglutamate, which can cause cancer.

It is worth noting that there is no statement in serious scientific data that "pyroglutamate causes cancer".

Wang Dongxu, deputy chief Chinese medicine doctor at Nanjing Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, said that when MSG is heated at 100°C for half an hour, only 0.3% of the sodium glutamate will produce pyroglutamic acid, which has little effect on the human body.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) did not include pyroglutamate in the four categories of carcinogens, so there is no question of it causing cancer.

In addition, it can be seen from the molecular formula of sodium glutamate that it is in an unstable state. After heating, it is very easy to dehydrate and turn into another stable substance - pyroglutamic acid.