Salty. Sweet. Sour. Scrumptious. There are many ways to describe food, nearly as many as there are palettes around. To each their own, one may say, but there are those that take food a little more seriously than others. A connoisseur, one would call them. The elite. Or just snobby hobbyists that turn something enjoyable into a contest.

One situation unfolded in a workplace quite a bit of time ago, where one such foodie came across some food in the work fridge. Wanting to give her compliments to the chef, she marched over and fawned about how great it was that there was no MSG present. Little did she know, she was in for a surprise. The story was brought forth by Reddit user u/Rough_Bike_2252, who asked if they were in the wrong for “tricking” the coworker. Let’s find out.

MSG is a seasoning that’s surrounded by differing opinions: some love it, others cannot stand it, and there are those that are sensitive to it

Image source: Rawpixel (not the actual photo)

One woman, claiming to have an MSG allergy, was in for a surprise as the lunch she found sitting in the work fridge was to have that very flavor enhancer

Image source: Richard Masoner (not the actual photo)

Image source: Rough_Bike_2252

Her Chinese coworker had brought in food for the team, of which the woman was not a part, hence ignoring her disdain for the seasoning

Image source: voronaman111 (not the actual photo)

MSG: the three letters that have caused quite a stir in the culinary space. If we take apart the abbreviation, we end up with monosodium glutamate, a sodium salt of glutamic acid. It’s commonly used in cooking to enhance the umami—savory—flavor, especially when it comes to sauces, broths, and soups. In the food industry, it’s known as E621.

Some of you may have first come across it in one of Uncle Roger’s skits, where he claims that “MSG is the king of flavor. If you sad in life, use MSG. If you happy in life, use MSG. Put MSG in everything, it’ll turn it better.” However, the flavor enhancer has gone through quite a bit of criticism throughout the years, especially when it comes to health concerns.

However, doctors recognize the fact that some people are indeed more sensitive to MSG than others, with the condition affecting 1% of the general population

MSG got its bad reputation in the 1960s when Chinese American doctor Robert Ho Man Kwok wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, explaining that he got sick after consuming Chinese food. He believed his symptoms could have resulted from consuming either alcohol, sodium, or MSG. This sparked a host of misinformation about MSG, which was likely related to then-present biases against Chinese immigrants and their cuisine.

Later on, numerous studies backed MSG’s bad reputation, stating that the additive was highly toxic; however, present-day health authorities such as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the European Food Safety Association (EFSA) generally recognize MSG to be safe.

As noted on Healthline, studies show that umami substances can even lower the desire to salt foods. In fact, some research argues that replacing some salt with MSG can reduce people’s sodium intake by approximately 3% without sacrificing flavor. But, with all that said, some people can feel uncomfortable after consuming MSG.

Image source: ngader (not the actual photo)

This situation, therefore, led to a lot of confusion, leaving the person wondering whether they were in the wrong for “tricking” the woman into consuming MSG

According to NY Allergy & Sinus Centers, the symptoms related to MSG do not involve the immune system, thus it cannot be called a true allergy; however, a sensitivity to the flavor enhancer has been documented, resulting in bloating, diarrhea, headaches, and abdominal pain, similar to what the woman in the story described. Interesting fact: It is estimated that MSG sensitivity affects less than 1% of the general population.

However, if you know that a certain food is likely to trigger an adverse reaction, maybe you shouldn’t eat anything that’s left in the work fridge without first asking whether it contains the food item you’re trying to avoid. Don’t be going around playing food roulette, now!

The internet community took the coworker’s side for the most part, even debating the existence of an MSG allergy to begin with

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