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Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as Chinese salt, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid used as a flavor enhancer to bring out the savory umami taste in foods.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is produced through the fermentation of starch, sugar cane, or sugar beets.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is found naturally in foods like tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, and meat.
CAS: 142-47-2
MF: C5H10NNaO4
MW: 171.13
EINECS: 205-538-1
Synonyms
L-Glutamic acid monosodium salt monohydrate,L-2-Aminopentanedioic acid, MSG, Sodium L-glutamate;L-(+)Sodium glutamat;L-Glutamic acid mono;MSG (MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE);L-SodiuM glutaMate hydrate;sodiumglutamatemonohydrate;vetsin;zest
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), is a widely used flavor enhancer.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) can enhance the natural flavor of food and make it more delicious.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is harmless to human health and is a safe food additive.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is widely used in the food industry, including cooking, seasoning, and processed foods.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) can enhance the flavor of soups, sauces, meat products, etc., and is an important component in enhancing the taste of food.
Due to its flavor enhancing effect, Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is very popular in the catering industry and home cooking.
The best known and most widely used flavor enhancer is monosodium glutamate (MSG).
In 1866, a German chemist, Ritthausen, isolated glutamic acid.
Later, another chemist converted the acid to a sodium salt, monosodium glutamate.
In doing their work, neither had any interest in flavor.
More than 40 years later, in 1908, a Japanese chemist at the University of Tokyo, Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, discovered the flavor enhancing properties of Monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Dr. Ikeda had set out to find out why and how a certain seaweed, Laminaria japonica, affected flavor.
Japanese cooks had used this seaweed for centuries to improve the flavor of soups and certain other foods.
Dr. Ikeda discovered that the ingredient in the seaweed that made the difference was Monosodium glutamate (MSG), and that it had an unusual ability to enhance or intensify the flavor of many high protein foods.
After isolating Monosodium glutamate (MSG), Dr. Ikeda developed a process for extracting it from wheat flour and other flours.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) Chemical Properties
Melting point: 232°C
alpha: 20 -3.5° (10% soln in 5° Bé HCl); D20 +25.16° (10g MSG/100ml 2N HCl)
density: d20 (saturated water soln): 1.620
refractive index: 25 ° (C=10, 2mol/L HCl)
FEMA: 2756 | MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE
storage temp.: Keep in dark place,Inert atmosphere,Room temperature
solubility: Soluble in water; sparingly soluble in ethanol (95%).
form: powder
color: white to off-white
Odor: Odorless
biological source: synthetic
Water Solubility: >=10 g/100 mL at 20 ºC
Merck: 6254
Stability: Hygroscopic
Cosmetics Ingredients Functions: FRAGRANCE
SKIN CONDITIONING
HAIR CONDITIONING
InChI: 1S/C5H9NO4.Na/c6-3(5(9)10)1-2-4(7)8;/h3H,1-2,6H2,(H,7,8)(H,9,10);/q;+1/p-1/t3-;/m0./s1
InChIKey: LPUQAYUQRXPFSQ-DFWYDOINSA-M
LogP: -1.44
CAS DataBase Reference: 142-47-2(CAS DataBase Reference)
EPA Substance Registry System: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) (142-47-2)
Chemical properties
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is usually available as the monohydrate, a white, odorless, crystalline powder.
The solid contains separate sodium cations Na+ and glutamate anions in zwitterionic form, −OOC-CH(NH+3)-(CH2)2-COO−.
In solution, Monosodium glutamate (MSG) dissociates into glutamate and sodium ions.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is freely soluble in water, but it is not hygroscopic and is insoluble in common organic solvents (such as ether).
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is generally stable under food-processing conditions.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) does not break down during cooking and, like other amino acids, will exhibit a Maillard reaction (browning) in the presence of sugars at very high temperatures.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), the best-known and most widely used flavor enhancer, is practically odorless and may have either a slightly sweet or slightly salty taste.
Addition of Monosodium glutamate (MSG) to food enhances several specific flavor characteristics, such as impact, body of fullness, continuity, mouth fullness, mildness and complexity.
For a detailed description of this compound refer to Burdock (1997)
Monosodium glutamate occurs as white free-flowing crystals or a crystalline powder.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is practically odorless and has a meat-like taste.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an amino acid with skin-conditioning, odormasking, and hair-conditioning action.
Flavor enhancer for foods in concentration of about 0.3%.
Use
Pure Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is reported to have a highly unpleasant taste until it is combined with a savory aroma.
The basic sensory function of Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is attributed to its ability to enhance savory taste-active compounds when added in the proper concentration.
The optimal concentration varies by food; in clear soup, the "pleasure score" rapidly falls with the addition of more than one gram of MSG per 100 mL.
The sodium content (in mass percent) of MSG, 12.28%, is about one-third of that in sodium chloride (39.34%), due to the greater mass of the glutamate counterion, and the remainder, 87.72%, is glutamic acid.
Although other salts of glutamate have been used in low-salt soups, they are less palatable than MSG.
The ribonucleotide food additives disodium inosinate (E631) and disodium guanylate (E627), as well as conventional salt, are usually used with Monosodium glutamate (MSG)-containing ingredients as they seem to have a synergistic effect.
"Super salt" is a mixture of 9 parts salt, to one part Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and 0.1 parts disodium ribonucleotides (a mixture of disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate).
Production
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) has been produced by three methods: hydrolysis of vegetable proteins with hydrochloric acid to disrupt peptide bonds (1909–1962); direct chemical synthesis with acrylonitrile (1962–1973), and bacterial fermentation (the current method).
Wheat gluten was originally used for hydrolysis because Monosodium glutamate (MSG) contains more than 30 g of glutamate and glutamine per 100 g of protein.
As demand for Monosodium glutamate (MSG) increased, chemical synthesis and fermentation were studied.
The polyacrylic fiber industry began in Japan during the mid-1950s, and acrylonitrile was adopted as a base material to synthesize Monosodium glutamate (MSG).
As of 2016, most Monosodium glutamate (MSG) worldwide is produced by bacterial fermentation in a process similar to making vinegar or yogurt.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is added later, for neutralization.
During fermentation, Corynebacterium species, cultured with ammonia and carbohydrates from sugar beets, sugarcane, tapioca or molasses, excrete amino acids into a culture broth from which L-glutamate is isolated.
Kyowa Hakko Kogyo (currently Kyowa Kirin) developed industrial fermentation to produce L-glutamate.
The conversion yield and production rate (from sugars to glutamate) continues to improve in the industrial production of MSG, keeping up with demand.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG), after filtration, concentration, acidification, and crystallization, is glutamate, sodium ions, and water.
Synthesis
The industrial production of glutamic acid is primarily carried out in the form of Monosodium glutamate (MSG), mainly through microbial fermentation.
This process has replaced earlier methods such as protein hydrolysis and chemical synthesis.
In this modern and efficient production method, specific bacterial strains, such as Corynebacterium glutamicum, are cultivated in large fermenters using carbohydrates such as sugarcane, sugar beets, or molasses as raw materials.
These bacteria secrete glutamic acid into the culture medium.
After fermentation, the glutamic acid is separated, purified, and then neutralized with sodium hydroxide, ultimately yielding the product—monosodium glutamate (MSG).
