In this 21st Century, almost every meal, be it convenient or inconvenient, should be worth the energy and resources invested in its preparation, hence the addition of various spices to create tasty aroma and whet appetites.

One of the most used spices people ignorantly use in preparing meals is Monosodium Glutamate, commonly known as MSG in the hospitality and catering departments.

What then is MSG? MSG is a sodium salt of a non-vital element of amino acid (glutamic acid), which is naturally active in our bodies and in many foods such as tomatoes and cheese, and food additives. MSG is widely used across the globe to improve flavor in non-processed foods and to restore flavors that processing has destroyed. It also acts as a substitute for the additional salt often added to many processed foods.

In industries, MSG encourages the high purchase of products it can be found in and medically acts as an appetizer in situations where people lack appetite for food either through old age or illness.

Despite the benefits of the spice, there are side effects of it as well. The effects of using the product fall on the consumers’ side, creating health perils, ominously to obesity and unwholesome eating habits.

Headache, dry mouth, flushing, tightening of facial muscles, numbness, chest pains, nausea, heart palpitations and general weakness are some of the health hazards experienced when MSG is consumed unduly after a couple of hours.

On visitation to some food joints in the capital, it was discovered that most of the consumers of MSG do not even know of the dangers the product is causing to their health. Some owners of food joints claim they just add very little quantity to their meals because they believe that it makes food tasty, to boost their business.

Interestingly, most people are ignorant of the fact that the identity of MSG is now disguised in the ingredient column on the labels of products in which it is found in.

Names such as Gelatin, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Monopotassium glutamate, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Yeast Extract, are those commonly found on labels of most products, but ignorantly, other spices constituting the same ingredients are used in addition to MSG; hence the extreme risk of health hazards it poses to consumers of these products.

Speaking to Daily Heritage, the National President of the Ghana Chef Association, Stephen Cofie Dzila, said MSG is a spice which comes in two forms; the powdered form and the rice-like form, adding that it is a cleaning agent and not good for consumption.

He explained that MSG is used to steam tough meat in order to soften its texture and also used to wash leafy vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, just to mention a few; as well as the preparation of Pizza stock to give the pizza a very good taste.

Mr. Dzila noted that MSG is not required for cooking, “relate the effects of cleaning agents on your body to the harm it will cause in your inner parts when they are used excessively, that is how MSG reacts in the body when used unreasonably,” he said.

“Some of the effects MSG causes consumers are stomach ulcer, cancer, appendix and nausea,” he revealed.

Monosodium Glutamate though enhances the flavor in food, is a slow and silent killer. Beware of what you purchase and what you consume at all times.