According to Truth In Labeling, the FDA only requires ingredients over 99% free glutamate to be listed as MSG. Therefore, anything under 99% free glutamate doesn’t have to be identified as MSG and can be disguised in over 50 different names. These names can be as deceptive as “natural flavors” or “spices,” leaving consumers unaware of their neurotoxic properties.
So How Do We Navigate This?
We have personally had to rely heavily on symptoms and behavioral reactions to indicate overall glutamate/inflammation and exposure to dietary sources of glutamate. With a lab, knowing exactly how much free glutamate will be found in a particular product due to different processing and how much of the individual ingredient is added to the packaged food is more accessible. We have found to balance this by consuming a variety of whole natural foods and strictly avoiding gluten, dairy, soy, and to a lesser extent, corn and working to lower overall glutamate and inflammation. The “bucket” concept can be applied to our glutamate levels. We may tolerate small amounts. Still, we will see a behavioral reaction when the “bucket” tips or overflows (maybe from consuming a portion of food with free glutamate, active infection, etc.).
Various ingredients where glutamate may be found:
Amino acid chelates (citrate, aspartate, glutamate) Annatto
Aspartame (excitotoxin)
Aspartate (excitotoxin)
Aspartic acid (excitotoxin)
Atta
Autolyzed anything
Autolyzed yeast
Autolyzed yeast extract
Barley (flakes, flour, malt, pearl)
Beet concentrate
Beet powder
Bouillon
Breading (bread stuffing)
Brewers yeast
Broth
Brown rice syrup
Bulgur
Calcium caseinate
Calcium glutamate (E 623)
Carrageenan E 407) (or vegetable gum)
Casein
Caseinate
Citrate (E 330) amino acid chelate
Citric acid
Chicken/pork/beef “base”
Chicken/pork/beef “flavoring”
Collagen
Conditioner
Corn processed
Corn starch
Corn syrup
Dehydrated egg
Dehydrated protein
Dextrose
Disodium caseinate
Disodium guanylate
Disodium inosinate
Dough conditioner(s)
Durum
Egg powder
Einkorn
Emmer
Enriched
Enzyme modified/containing enzymes
Extracts
Farina
Farro/faro
Fermented protein(s)
Fish sauce
Flavors
Flavor enhancer
Fortified vitamins/nutrients
Fu
Gelatin
Glutamate (E 620)
Glutamic acid (E 620)
Gluten
Graham flour
Guar gum (most all “gums”)
Hydrolyzed anything*
Hydrolyzed oat flour
Hydrolyzed plant protein
Hydrolyzed protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Isolates
Kamut
Kombu/kombu extract
Lipolyzed butter fat
Low-no fat
Magnesium glutamate (E 625)
Malt extract (malt syrup)
Malt flavoring(s)
Malted anything
Malted barley flour
Malted barley/barley malt
Maltodextrin
Matzo, matzo meal
Meat flavorings (chicken, beef etc.)
Milk powder/reduced fat milk
Modified food starch
Monosodium glutamate (E 621)
Monoammonium glutamate (E 624)
Monopotassium glutamate (E 622)
Natrium glutamate
Natural flavor(s)
Natural flavoring(s)
Nutrasweet/aspartame
Nutritional yeast
Oligodextrin
Pea protein
Pectin (E 440)
Plant protein extract 1-cysteine
Protease
Protein fortified
Protein powder
Protein solids
Rice syrup
Rye bread and flour
Seasoned salt
Seasoning(s)
Seaweed/seaweed extract
Seitan
Semolina
Smoke flavoring(s)
Sodium caseinate
Soup base
Soy extract
Soy lecithin
Soy protein
Soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolate
Soy sauce
Soy sauce extract
Spelt
Spice(s)
Splenda (excitotoxin)
Spice mixes that contain glutamate or MSG as an ingredient
Stock
Sweetn’low (excitotoxin)
Tamari
Tangle extract
Textured protein
Triticale
Tofu
Ultra-pasteurized
Umami
Vegetable gum
Vetsin
Vital gluten
Vinegar (malt, balsamic, white, wine)
Vitamin enriched
Wheat (bran, flour, germ, starch)
Yeast or autolyzed yeast
Yeast food
Yeast extract
Yeast nutrient
Whey protein
Whey protein concentrate
Whey protein isolate
Xanthum Gum (most all “gums”)
Disclaimer: These sources have been collected based on our experience/reactions and with the support of several online sources, including Dr. Katie Reid, Ph.D. of UnblindMyMind.org, TruthInLabeling.org (my go-to when starting to make diet changes), MSG Truth.org, and Dr. Russell Blaylock. Whenever we see a reaction to a food, I research its glutamate content.