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

Aijinomoto is best known as the pioneer of monosodium glutamate seasoning.

From Los Angeles Times

Ajinomoto, the Japanese food company best known for commercializing monosodium glutamate, used its chemistry knowledge to make a specialized film used in the underside layer of a chip alongside T-glass.

From The Wall Street Journal

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