quote:

An MSG-free restaurant in Oviedo, Fla., has reportedly been stockpiling a secret ingredient in its kitchen — a "tub" of MSG.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) recently shut down the Asian Express restaurant located in the Oviedo Mall’s food court for a number of violations, one being the fact that they kept a large tub of MSG — or monosodium glutamate — in their alleged MSG-free kitchen, reports The Orlando Sentinel.

“Operator advertises no MSG and has a large tub of MSG [15 pounds] in the restaurant,” the inspectors noted during their June 21 visit. “Operation also uses a granulated chicken stock that has MSG in its ingredients.”

Reports indicate there was a “large NO MSG sign” out in front of the restaurant; the operator of the establishment also claimed the MSG was for his personal use.

An inspection report available on the Tallahassee Democrat labeled the violation as “misrepresentation” and “misbranding.”

During the investigation, heath inspectors also found evidence of roaches, improper food storage and a possible “mold-like substance” in the ice machine, among the 27 total violations named in the report.

The restaurant didn’t return a request for comment by the Orlando Sentinel, but a spokeswoman for the Oviedo Mall told the Sentinel that the Asian Express had quickly reopened.

In an inspection on June 23, The DBRP said Asian Express “met inspection standards,” this time earning only four “basic” violations — not one of which had anything to do with MSG.


MSG has long been used as a food additive to add savory, umami-filled flavor to dishes, but it has come under scrutiny over the years amid claims of adverse reactions, such as headaches, flushing or sweating, among other conditions. The FDA recognizes MSG as “generally recognized as safe,” and says scientists have “not been able to consistently trigger” those types of reactions in placebo-controlled studies.

quote:

Reports indicate there was a “large NO MSG sign” out in front of the restaurant; the operator of the establishment also claimed the MSG was for his personal use.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
I got bad MSG headaches as a kid if I ate a lot of Chinese food. But not as an adult. I suspect it's sort of random and hard to test in a lab situation.