We had several restaurants and my father refused to have Aromat in this places, even if people asked for it. He once threw a cousin out of the restaurant after asking for Ketchup for an excellent Italian dish.
If you ever see such a thing as in the pic I posted, leave the place.
MSG is the abbreviation for "monosodium glutamate", here is a link with lots of info (from Canadian government actually) on MSG.
This is probably the relevant part with regard to Nicola:
For myself, I'm not overly sensitive to it BUT if I have it too frequently I get severe headaches. Incidentally, the same goes for "fake" sugars as well.
While I agreee on (banning) MSG as an additive to junk food, I personally would regret it if ripe tomatoes, mushrooms, kombu and parmigiano were banned too
Aromat is manufactured by Knoor... The same company that makes all of theose soups, sauces, etc. Interestingly enough, it is owned by Unilever, a USA based company...
Apparently they started using MSG to remove the "factory taste" from their foods, back in 1948... I would assume that if one reads the ingredients on their other products, they would contain MSG as well...
I personally like the flavor, although "everything in moderation"...
I love Aromat on my boiled and fried eggs.
Such an insult to a Swiss icon could result in deportation. Be careful what you write on public forums...
That can be topped: Put MAGGI on your boiled eggs! Great!
I have a swiss friend who is living in Argentina at the moment and when her family travelled there, they brought her big amounts of Aromat.
I'm surprised there is no Lindt Chocolate "aromat limited edition"
Ha ha ha, genius !
Allergic or intolerant to MSG?
Medically proved or self diagnosed?
MSG is only the sodium salt of a naturally occurring substance - glutamic acid. That in turn is one of the most common neurotransmitters in the brain
Glutamic acid occurs in very high level in parmesan cheese, parma ham, mushrooms, tomatoes, anchovies, seaweed, and of course soy sauce.
Interestingly, it appears that we are actually pre-programmed to like it as it found in mothers milk at the parts per million level
So I can't see that it should be banned or is a poison ...
Glutamic acid is also present in meat ...
However, the consumer is the consumer , and should be allowed to select to eat products containing stuff they like, and avoid stuff they don't like. Hence the ingredients dec
I know of a friend who takes crackers and spreads them with butter then sprinkles on Aromat while under the influence. the result is a fatty, salty, nasty snack !
There is a thin line between allergy and intolerance. My own symptoms would indicate that I am allergic, ie, headache and pronounced fluid retention.
However, whilst I would agree that the consumer should be able to make an educated choice as to what they do and not eat, all too often the inclusion of MSG and other additives is disguised by manufacturers in their listing of ingredients.
Is MSG safe?
In general, the use of MSG is not a health hazard to consumers. The safety of MSG has been reviewed by regulatory authorities and scientists worldwide, including Health Canada. However, some individuals who consume MSG may exhibit an allergic-type reaction or hypersensitivity. For those people, the effects of consuming food containing MSG may include: a burning sensation, facial pressure, headache, nausea and chest pains appearing about 20 minutes after consumption and disappearing about two hours later . Such reactions have generally been reported to be temporary and not associated with severe adverse health effects. People sensitive enough to be affected are advised to avoid the use of this substance.
O yea just like having sex
At least it ain`t CHEEZ WHIZ... Whey – Byproduct of cheese-making process used as a filler. Canola oil – Keeps the cheese from solidifying. Salt – Preservative, contains twice the sodium of typical organic cheddar. Sodium citrate – Emulsifier. Sodium phosphate – Degreaser , preservative. WHA ??? Calcium phosphate – Adding calcium makes it legal for Kraft to label every can “an excellent source of calcium.” (Way to go FDA) Lactic acid – Byproduct of bacteria digest the milk sugar lactose. Sodium alginate – Gum to increase viscosity. Apocarotenal - Yellow-orange pigment. One 32 gram serving has over 400 mg of Sodium .
Makes Aromat look better and better... .
I get those same side effects after a Friday Night out...
The Swiss are on the fence about aromat. One one side, their mothers used it to make wonderful dishes. It's taste represents tradition. On the other side, it's a well-known fact that any good cook will avoid the stuff.
I used to use Aromat a lot. I rarely use it now.
Nowadays, I'm hooked on Lawry's seasoning salt from the US. Now that stuff is good.
oh and i forgot, those who do not eat Aromat, eat Streu mi .
http://www.streumi.ch/produkte/
hhihihih
This is interesting, as my feeling is that Aromat in itself does not actually add anything in the way of proper seasoning, yet merely enhances the flavour of those dishes that it is being added to by the inclusion of copious amounts of MSG.
Intolerance causes uncomfortable symptoms
Allergies can be fatal ...
With your symptoms , you would be intolerant. But have you actually had that medically diagnosed?
As a consumer you have a right to know what is in your food - but you should also research the information for holistic sources as they are rarely factually based.
Most of the information is anecdotal and doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny. We would label fish, nuts, celery, soya, mustard as allergens. But not MSG
For the confirmed internet users, google still seems to be mystery
http://ezinearticles.com/?MSG-Allerg...oms&id=3370279
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...-syndrome-myth
Wikipedia says ...
Health concerns
Main article: Health effects research into glutamic acid
The "MSG symptom complex" was originally termed as the "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" when Robert Ho Man Kwok reported symptoms of patients who consumed American-Chinese cuisine. Kwok suggested multiple possible reasons behind the symptoms that these subjects were experiencing, including: alcohol from cooking with wine, the sodium content, or the seasoning of MSG. Despite these other suggestions, MSG became the focus and the symptoms that were described have been associated with this food additive ever since. [[16]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-freeman-15) Concerns have been raised on anecdotal grounds, and hypotheses have been put forward, that MSG may be associated with migraine headaches , [[17]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-twsNovK7-16) food allergies in children, [[18]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-twsNovK8b-17) obesity , [[19]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-twsNovK8baaa-18) and hyperactivity in children. [[20]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-twsNovK3-19) A report from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology ( FASEB ) compiled in 1995 on behalf of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that MSG is safe for most people when "eaten at customary levels". However, it also said that, based on anecdotal reports , some people may have an MSG intolerance that causes "MSG symptom complex" and/or a worsening of asthmatic symptoms . [[21]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-20) Subsequent research found that, while large doses of MSG given without food may elicit more symptoms than a placebo in individuals who believe that they react adversely to MSG, the frequency of the responses was low and the responses reported were inconsistent, not reproducible, and not observed when MSG was given with food. [[22]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-geha-21) No statistical association has been demonstrated under controlled conditions, even in studies with people convinced that they are sensitive to it. [[22]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-geha-21) [[23]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-Tarasoff-22) [[24]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-23) [[25]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-24) Adequately controlling for experimental bias includes a double-blind placebo-controlled (DBPC) experimental design and the application in capsules because of the strong and unique after-taste of glutamates. [[23]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-Tarasoff-22) In a study performed by Tarasoff and Kelly (1993) 71 fasting participants were given 5 g of MSG and then administered a standard breakfast. There was only one reaction, and it was to the placebo in a self-identified MSG sensitive individual. [[16]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-freeman-15) In a different study done by Geha et al. (2000), they tested the reaction of 130 subjects that reported sensitivity to MSG. Multiple DBPC trials were performed and only subjects with at least two symptoms proceeded. Only 2 people out of the whole study responded in all four challenges. Because of this low prevalence, the researchers concluded that the response to MSG was not reproducible [[26]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-25) Additional studies that have looked into whether MSG causes obesity have given mixed results. [[27]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-26) [[28]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-twsNovK5-27) There have been several studies investigating an anecdotal link between MSG and asthma ; current evidence does not support any causal association. [[29]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate#cite_note-28) Since glutamates are important neurotransmitters in the human brain, playing a key element in learning and memory, there is ongoing study by neurologists about possible side–effects of MSG in food but no conclusive studies saying there are any connections. [30
Do you get them after cleaning your teeth as well?
Go and have a look at the ingredinets list of toothpaste. It's full of artificial sweetener ...
Interestingly, it is not on the long list of unhealthy foods to avoid for a mid morning snack as provided by our primary school, but sugar and products containing any amount of sugar (large or small), feature very highly on that list.
My son is very envious of the children who take in brocolli, cauliflower florets, cucumber and carrot sticks together with their own personal mini Aromat shaker! So it is a habit that starts young