engleski

Flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) in pate sampled from the Croatian market

Sodium glutamate or monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a sodium salt of the glutamic acid registered as food additive (E 621). Alike other glutamic acid salts (E 620-625), it is used as a flavour enhancer in soup concentrates, sauces, semi-finished foods and meat products. Research has shown that larger food-mediated MSG intakes can cause nausea, chest pain, headache, excessive water retention, numbness and burning sensation, as well as the fever known as the "Chinese restaurant syndrome". The maximum MSG level in food, alone or in combination with other salts, is 10 g/kg of glutamic acid. From the Croatian market, 50 tea, liver and chicken pate samples of various brands were collected. Glutamic acid analyses were performed in line with the kit manufacturer's instructions. In chicken pate, the glutamic acid content ranged from 3.59 to 13.55 g/kg, significantly differing (p <0.05) across brands. In tea and liver pate samples, the glutamic acid content ranged from 1.21 to 11.46 g/kg and from 1.52 to 11.93 g/kg, respectively, also significantly differing between brands. Five samples, out of which two chicken and two tea pate samples, as well as one liver pate sample, failed to meet the ML values. Given the free glutamic acid levels expected in meat and the proportion of meat in the pate, free glutamic acid naturally present in meat could not largely contribute to the glutamic acid content determined in certain pate samples. In order to ensure food and consumer safety, further research into the presence of free glutamic acid and its salts in different food products are needed.

flavour enhancer, monosodium glutamate, glutamic acid, pate, food safety

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