Questions & Answers - Accent Seasoning - Spike Seasoning
MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein?


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Accent Seasoning - Spike Seasoning
MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein?

QUESTION:

I am writing from Australia and wondered if you could translate some ingredients for a recipe I got from the Oprah show. It is a recipe for 'Quincy Jones' thriller ribs ' and sounds delish! It calls for Spike and Accent seasoning which I have never heard of here or in the UK [my original home]. It also requires bell peppers which I assume are what we call capsicum. I really hope you can help me as I'm dying to try the recipe. I have only just found your site today and would like to congratulate you on it. It has firmly been marked in my favorites. Hope to hear from you soon - Sheila Harrison (10/3/01)

I'm going to try a new recipe for Baby Back Ribs & it calls for "Spike seasoning." Do you know where this can be purchased or do you know a good substitute? Thanking you in advance.
 

ANSWERS:

Accent - A seasoning also called MSG (Monosodium Glutamate). It is commonly used in Oriental cooking. It is not a favored seasoning or enhancer in the United States as many people are allergic to it. It is an optional seasoning and can very easily be left out of recipes.

MSG is the sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid and a form of glutamate. It is sold as a fine white crystal substance, similar in appearance to salt or sugar. It does not have a distinct taste of its own, and how it adds flavor to other foods is not fully understood. Many scientists believe that MSG stimulates glutamate receptors in the tongue to augment meat-like flavors.

Additional information on MSG from FDA and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) by U. S. Food and Drug Administration:

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is used as a flavor enhancer in a variety of foods prepared at home, in restaurants, and by food processors. Its use has become controversial in the past 30 years because of reports of adverse reactions in people who've eaten foods that contain MSG. Research on the role of glutamate--a group of chemicals that includes MSG--in the nervous system also has raised questions about the chemical's safety.

Studies have shown that the body uses glutamate, an amino acid, as a nerve impulse transmitter in the brain and that there are glutamate-responsive tissues in other parts of the body, as well. Abnormal function of glutamate receptors has been linked with certain neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's chorea. Injections of glutamate in laboratory animals have resulted in damage to nerve cells in the brain. Consumption of glutamate in food, however, does not cause this effect. While people normally consume dietary glutamate in large amounts and the body can make and metabolize glutamate efficiently, the results of animal studies conducted in the 1980s raised a significant question: Can MSG and possibly some other glutamates harm the nervous system?


 

Spike - From the Italian kitchen of late internationally acclaimed gourmet nutritionist, Gaylord Hauser, This is a flavor seasoning.

Spike's Seasoning Ingredients contains:
Salt and sea salt crystals, special high flavor yeast, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, mellow toasted onion, onion powder, orange powder, soy flour, celery leaf powder, celery root powder, garlic powder, dill, kelp, Indian curry, horseradish, ripe white pepper, orange and lemon peel, summer savory, mustard flower, sweet green and red peppers, parsley flakes, tarragon, rosehips, saffron, mushroom powder, parsley powder, spinach powder, tomato powder, sweet Hungarian paprika, celery powder, cayenne pepper, plus a delightful herbal bouquet of the best Greek oregano, French sweet basil, French marjoram, French rosemary, and Spanish thyme.

Spike's seasoning claims to contain no MSG but does contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein. Please read the following article, and decide for yourself: Hidden Sources of Processed Free Glutamic Acid (MSG)  from the Truth in Labeling.

I couldn't find a recipe to make it at home. I doubt that anyone would try to make a copycat recipe for anything with so many ingredients. Spike's comes in either regular or salt free. Made by Modern Products, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53209, U.S.A. Spike's is a commercial product that is available at most supermarkets (in the spice section) and health food stores.

QUESTION:

I am a little confused. I always thought that MSG was a type of nutritional yeast, and therefore always feared that Spike had MSG, but was never really sure. You claim that hydrolized vegetable protein IS MSG. To add to the confusion, I am not personally allergic to MSG, but I do not think it is good for ones health, and some people are very allergic to it, so I would like an informed answer so that when I prepare food for others, I will avoid using Spike if it has MSG. Is it possible that if it does contain MSG, that it is a healthy version of it, or is there any such a thing? Personally, I love Spike Spice mix better than any other, but it will curb my use of it if it contains MSG. Still, I seek to know the truth on the matter. - Anna (1/07/07)
 

ANSWER:

I see what you are saying, and it does sound confusing! Check out the following article on MSG by Truth In Labeling:  http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html
 

FEEDBACK:

Thank you so much for your help. After writing to you, I did find some information also. You may want to look at it too. It is at:
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/faarp-via%20jack-2-FEb17.html.  The link address indicates that both your information and mine come from the same source. The link I found is more detailed, but also a little more difficult to figure out what they are trying to say. Still, you may find it interesting to read how much effort is made to sneak MSG into food and spices, despite the complaints of extremely painful reactions to it. It is angering actually. It is not fair to those who suffer the consequences, nor is it fair to people who, like me, are not allergic themselves, care to not cause any harm to others with the food they serve. 
 
Thank you for sending the link that you found, because it boils the info down to straight facts. I really like how concise and straight forward it is. I will save the information. This is really helpful for those who are rightly concerned about causing any discomfort to those who may be allergic to MSG. It appears that Spike Spice does indeed contain some, so I will be limiting (if not avoiding altogether) the use of Spike. It is a shame, because it is a very flavorful seasoning. But no taste is worth the ill effects that MSG has on those who get an allergic reaction to it. Thanks again for your prompt and informative reply.