monosodium glutamate

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble powder, C 5 H 8 NNaO 4 ⋅H 2 O, used to intensify the flavor of foods.

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monosodium glutamate British  

/ ˌmɒnəʊˈsəʊdɪəm /

noun

1. Also called: sodium glutamate.   MSG.  a white crystalline substance, the sodium salt of glutamic acid, that has little flavour itself but enhances the flavour of proteins either by increasing the amount of saliva produced in the mouth or by stimulating the taste buds: used as a food additive, esp in Chinese foods. Formula: NaC 5 H 8 O 4

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monosodium glutamate Scientific  

/ mŏn′ə-sō′dē-əmglo̅o̅′tə-māt′ /

1. A white, crystalline salt used to flavor food, especially in China and Japan. It occurs naturally in tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and seaweed. Chemical formula: C ₅ H ₈ NNaO ₄ .

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Etymology

Origin of monosodium glutamate

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Other ingredients include salt, monosodium glutamate, cornstarch and beta carotene for color.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Carrageenan, riboflavin, monosodium glutamate and 20 others that I can’t pronounce," he said, as one of the "MAHA moms" gravely intoned, "that stuff's really bad."

From Salon

Examples that can be found around us include various amino acids, including monosodium glutamate, food proteins, enzymes, flavoring compounds, food colorings, and bioactive substances.

From Science Daily

With his newfound knowledge, Ikeda went on to found the company Ajinomoto and started mass producing the food additive monosodium glutamate or MSG.

From Salon

It is one of the world’s largest producers of monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer.

From Washington Times