Autolyzed Yeast, Source, & MSG ConcernsUpdated 2 months ago
Thank you so much for your thoughtful question - we totally understand your concern! Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation regarding autolyzed yeast and it's relationship to MSG. In short, there is NO MSG in MegaFood products. If you'd like more information, we've asked our Principal Nutrition Scientist to comment on this misconception, and I'd be more than happy to share that with you!
From MegaFood's Principal Nutrition Scientist:
At MegaFood we do not use autolyzed yeast to hide any inclusion of MSG. In fact, it is a misconception that autolyzed yeast produces any amount of MSG at all. It is also incorrect that MSG may legally be labeled as "autolyzed yeast" despite media articles suggesting that this is the case. The FDA is very clear that the inclusion of MSG must explicitly list MSG in the list of ingredients if, in fact, MSG is added. This is simply not the case at MegaFood. Instead, autolyzed yeast creates a process that causes the release of a similar but distinct naturally occurring amino acid called "glutamate" from protein-containing foods. To be clear, glutamate is a very common amino acid contained in nearly every protein-containing food. The average American consumes 13 grams of glutamate each day from the protein in food. More significantly, if not present in your diet, your body will naturally create it's own source of glutamate as it is required for normal cellular functioning in your body. While the released glutamate is distinct from MSG, MSG does contain glutamate.
Regarding the safety of MSG (use as needed):
Considering it's similarity, we feel that it's important to dispel the myths associated with MSG as well.
Despite early skepticism in the 1960s about the potential harmful effects of MSG, there has yet to be any direct evidence linking MSG to any harmful effects. The FDA has intensely investigated all reports of symptoms after eating foods containing MSG, and have yet to be able to connect MSG to any of the reported effects. The FDA further evaluated the safety of MSG in the 1990s, using an independent scientific group, and found that very mild, short-term symptoms were triggered only after doses above 3 grams, taken without food (typical serving with food is less than 0.5 grams). The FDA concluded that MSG is safe, granting GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) certification, as consuming more than 3 grams of MSG without food at one time is extremely unlikely.
In summary, MegaFood doesn't use MSG, nor is autolyzed yeast a method of producing MSG.