Why can't MSG be added to eggs

Many people like to eat scrambled eggs. Scrambled eggs are not only easy to make, but many children can make them. When making breakfast, many people like to put MSG in scrambled eggs, but experts do not recommend doing so because it may cause interactions between foods and even toxic side effects, posing a health threat to our bodies. So, why can’t MSG be added to eggs?

1. It is best not to add MSG when scrambled eggs.

Eggs contain a large amount of glutamate and a certain amount of sodium chloride. After heating, these two ingredients synthesize a new substance - monosodium glutamate, which has pure umami taste and nutritional value. The main ingredient of MSG is also monosodium glutamate. If MSG is added to scrambled eggs, it will not only fail to increase the umami taste, but also destroy the natural umami taste of the eggs, and at the same time, the monosodium glutamate in the eggs itself will be excluded. Therefore, scrambled eggs themselves have umami flavor and nutritional ingredients. There is no need to add MSG, because scrambled eggs themselves are very fresh, and adding MSG will not make them taste the same. Adding MSG will make them taste different. Because eggs and MSG are easily produced a toxin together, I think they should not be added.

2. Dishes that should not be added with MSG

1. Don’t add MSG to dishes that use vinegar

Do not add MSG to dishes that have a distinct sour taste and contain a lot of vinegar. Because MSG is not easily soluble in an acidic environment, and the greater the acidity, the lower the solubility and the worse the umami effect. Therefore, MSG should not be added to dishes with strong sour taste, such as sweet and sour pork, braised cabbage with vinegar, etc.

2. Don’t add MSG to cold dishes

MSG can only fully exert its flavor-enhancing effect when the temperature is between 80℃ and 100℃. However, the temperature of cold dishes is relatively low, so MSG has difficulty taking effect and may even stick directly to the raw materials, making them tasteless and disappointing. If you must add MSG when making cold dishes, it is better to dissolve the MSG in a small amount of hot water and then mix it into the cold dishes.

3. Don’t add MSG to sweet dishes

At the appropriate sodium ion concentration, the umami taste of MSG can be more prominent. Therefore, the umami taste of MSG can only be expressed in salty dishes, but if MSG is added to sweet dishes.

Not only does it fail to enhance the freshness, but it will suppress the original sweetness and produce an unpleasant smell. Therefore, MSG should not be added to dishes such as chicken and corn soup and sweet taro soup.

4. Don’t add MSG to the fillings

Many people add some MSG when preparing dumpling or spring roll fillings, which is very unsafe. After MSG is mixed into the fillings, they will go through high-temperature processes such as steaming, boiling, and frying together. However, as long as the temperature exceeds 100°C, MSG will denature.

Not only will it lose its flavor, but it will also form toxic sodium pyroglutamate, which is harmful to human health. In addition to not being able to mix stuffing, when making hot dishes, MSG should only be added when the dish is about to be removed from the heat.

5. No need to add MSG when stir-frying meat dishes

Meat naturally contains glutamate, which, when combined with the salt in dishes and heated, naturally produces monosodium glutamate, the main ingredient of MSG. In addition to meat, there is no need to add MSG to other foods with umami flavor, such as eggs, mushrooms, wild rice stems, seafood, etc.