It is not harmful to the human body within the normal range. Sodium glutamate (C5H8NNaO4, NaOOC-CHNH2-CH2-CH2-COOH), chemical name alpha-aminoglutarate monosodium. The molar mass of this substance is 169.111 g·mol-1. This substance is a salt formed from sodium ions and glutamate ions.

Consumption of MSG will not cause any harm to health within the normal range, but consuming too much will cause some people to have headaches, flushing, sweating, facial pressure or swelling, numbness in the mouth or around the mouth, and Poisoning symptoms such as stomach burning and chest pain can be relieved by taking 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily after poisoning.

Extended information

Precautions for consuming MSG:

Do not add MSG to a hot pot. Add it when the dish is about to come out of the pot. Because when the temperature is higher than 120°C, sodium glutamate will turn into sodium pyroglutamate, which is harmful to the human body after eating and is difficult to excrete from the body.

MSG is alkaline and should not be added to acidic foods. Because adding MSG to acidic food will cause a chemical reaction, it will synthesize disodium glutamate, which will produce an ammonia smell, reduce the umami taste, and even lose its umami taste. Such as sweet and sour fish, sweet and sour pork, etc.

Pay attention to the saltiness. If it is too salty, the MSG may not taste delicious. When making cold dishes, it should be dissolved first and then added. Because the dissolution temperature of MSG is 85°C, below this temperature, MSG is difficult to decompose.

When making cold dishes, it should be dissolved first before adding. Because the dissolution temperature of MSG is 85°C, it is difficult to decompose below this temperature.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Sodium Glutamate