The management of West African Seasoning Company Limited (WASCO) and makers of Ajinomoto Umami food seasoning, has again reassured customers of safety of the product.
Also backing the safety of the Japanese food seasoning are some Nigerian food experts who said various scientific findings had proven that AJI-NO-MOTO is safe for consumption.
The firm gave the reassurance in a statement released ahead of the 2021 edition of Umami Seasoning Day, slated for July 25 to raise awareness about the importance of the Umami seasoning popularly known as AJI-NO-MOTO or Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) in cooking and its safety for consumption as it brings delicious flavor to global cuisines.
According to WASCO’s Managing Director, Mr. Niki Junichi, Aji-no-moto’s safety has long been scientifically proven and its safety approved by authorized agencies of the United Nations.
“An extensive body of research which has been reviewed by scientists and governments around the world, including the US FDA, the American Medical Association, experts of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization and the European Commission’s Scientific Committee for Food demonstrates that glutamate is safe” he said.
Mr Junichi further disclosed that based on its safety, AJI-NO-MOTO Umami Seasoning is consumed in over 130 countries, adding that the usage of MSG was to enhance taste and also increase deliciousness of food.AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami seasoning, according to him, has been safely used as food ingredient since 1908 after it was discovered by a Japanese scientist, Dr. Kikunae Ikeda.
He assured that the company was committed to providing products that make food more delicious and nutritious, urging Nigerians to dispel any myth or misconception about AJU-NO-MOTO.
Despite MSG’s 113-years history of safety validated by health organizations across the globe, lingering skepticism fueled by personal anecdotes and poorly conducted research in the 1970s has unfairly villainized the ingredient. For decades, the “No MSG” symbol that pervades restaurant windows, grocery shelves and food products has perpetuated the false perception of MSG as dangerous, and driven consumers away from enjoying an ingredient that adds savory umami taste to food.
Affirming the safety of glutamate is a Professor of Enzyme and Food Biotechnology; Prof. Abdulkarim Sabo Mohammed, the Vice -Chancellor Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State said: “MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese. Glutamate is essential for living bodies, it is a good energy source of the brain and help boost good feeling by regulating impulse transmission in the nerves.
“In fact, 30 to 40 percent salt reduction can be achieved by adding MSG without changing the taste of the food. It is a healthy product that has been consumed by Billions of people across the Globe and there is no scientific proof yet to directly associate MSG with any health issues as suggested” he added.
Prof. Abiodun Sanni of the Department of Microbiology, University of Ibadan, who wants Nigerians to work with facts and not rumours, explains that glutamate has no health issues as purported in some quarters. Sanni who is a Professor of Microbiology, noted, “MSG produces a unique and fifth taste known as Umami. We have a lot of glutamate in our local foods. Iru for instance is umami. When you take Iru, you take a lot of glutamate. So, people should debunk the rumours about glutamate. The human body metabolizes both the natural and added glutamate in the same manner.
“MSG does not cause allergy; it does not cause asthma– no link at all; it does not cause obesity; no adverse effect on the lung. Again, no study has shown any group of people not to take glutamate”, the professor added.
WASCO’s Head of Marketing, Mr. Isah Hassan Shallangwa, also provided more safety facts about AJI -NO-MOTO® Umami seasoning and gave reasons why Nigerians should embrace it.“The benefits of the seasoning include enhancing and promoting the deliciousness of our meals, it is economical, it reduces salt intake and it is rich in glutamate one of the free amino acids. Almost all seasoning contains MSG”, Shallangwa said.
Asking consumers to always work with fact and evidence and to dispel misguided information and misconception about AJI-NO-MOTO®, a lecturer in the Department of Food, Nutrition and Home Science, University of Port-Harcourt, Dr. Helen Henry-Unaeze, said there is no food that is tasty without a glutamate.
“AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning enhances the taste of food. It brings out the flavor of a wide variety of savory foods and makes them palatable. MSG can also be used to reduce the amount of sodium in foods—it contains 1/3 percent less sodium than table salt”, she said.
Henry-Unaeze pointed out that a lot of studies have been carried out on the safety of MSG which confirmed it to be safe for human consumption. According to her, MSG is not associated with any known health condition in all the researches done so far both locally and internationally as claimed in some quarters.