Glutamate X MSG: Understand each one better

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Umami Committee specialist explains how both are responsible for providing the fifth taste in food

São Paulo, September 2023 – Do you know the difference between glutamate and monosodium glutamate (MSG)? Nutritionist from the Umami Committee, Lisiane Miura, explains that glutamate molecules are the same and both provide the fifth basic taste of the human palate: umami. What changes in MSG, which is the industrialized version of glutamate, is only the addition of a sodium molecule to the glutamate amino acid, which does not make it a sodium-rich ingredient.

“Using monosodium glutamate in meal preparation can help reduce sodium by up to 37%, because it has 1/3 of the sodium content found in regular table salt,” Lisiane emphasizes.

The umami taste can be perceived in foods that contain substances called amino acids and nucleotides. Among the main amino acids responsible for umami, glutamate, or glutamic acid, stands out, which is naturally found in meats, fish, corn, and various foods. “Some examples of foods that contain the amino acid in their composition are tomato, dried shiitake, chicken, matured cheeses, and tuna,” the specialist says.

The presence of glutamate in foods and MSG also promotes increased salivation, improving palatability in meals, prolonging the flavor in the mouth, and aiding digestion. “The amino acid enhances other tastes, and including these ingredients in the daily menu also allows for a variety of flavors on the plate,” adds Lisiane Miura.

The tip is to use the ingredient to enhance the flavor of foods that do not originally contain glutamate in their composition, thus adding umami taste to a wide variety of dishes.

UMAMI

It is the fifth basic taste of the human palate, discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda. It was scientifically recognized in 2000, when researchers at the University of Miami confirmed the existence of specific receptors for this taste on the taste buds. The amino acid glutamic acid and the nucleotides inosinate and guanylate are the main umami substances. The two main characteristics of umami are the increase in salivation and the persistence of the taste for a few minutes after eating the food. To learn more, visit www.portalumami.com.br.