Do you buy chicken broth in tetrapaks or cans labeled “No MSG” from the store thinking this is a safe and healthy option for homemade soups you make at home?
Maybe you even go to the trouble and expense of buying chicken broth from the healthfood store that is labeled free range and organic believing this is a quality choice for your family.
Let’s dig into the label of these supposedly “no MSG”, “100% Natural” products and see what the real story is.
Are you ready for another Food Label Smackdown?
Why You Must Avoid MSG
First, let’s take a brief moment to explain to any new readers why you must avoid MSG when you shop.
MSG is a dangerous neurotoxin that must be avoided as much as possible in your food. It kills neurons in the hypothalamus part of the brain stem that most likely never recover and are lost forever. The hypothalamus is the Master Controller of your endocrine system, so if you would like to have a healthy, balanced hormonal system, you must avoid MSG just like you avoid soy and BPA in your foods.
This goes for your children as well.
Mice fed MSG get morbidly obese. I truly believe, although I have not seen any studies on this yet, that the rampant use of MSG in processed foods plays a big role in the epidemic of fat and obese children in our society today.
Food manufacturers insist that MSG is natural because it is found naturally occurring in small amounts in some foods. When MSG is found in whole foods, however, it is bound to another molecule, usually protein and is therefore not able to cause neurological damage like the MSG that is freed from these molecules and present in large amounts in processed foods.
Products Labeled “No MSG” Usually Have MSG in Them
Once you realize just how dangerous MSG is to your neurological system and have resolved to avoid it, the next thing you must get your head around is the incredibly misleading, downright deceptive labeling of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the United States today and probably elsewhere in the world.
Just because a product is labeled “no MSG” and is certified organic does not mean there is no MSG in it.
Huh? Say what?
Let’s come at this from a different angle and more closely examine the organic chicken broth labeled “No MSG” pictured above. To the right is a picture of the ingredients label.
What is immediately apparent is that this product most definitely contains MSG due to the presence of Yeast Extract.
While the name “yeast extract” seems nonthreatening enough, it in fact always contains MSG and is a hidden source that very effectively fools consumers which is why it is a very popular label with manufacturers.
If you think about it, what in the world is “yeast extract” doing in chicken broth in the first place? Yeast is more used for baked goods, isn’t it? If you make chicken broth yourself at home, you don’t add any yeast. That would be completely ridiculous!
Why else would manufacturers be adding “yeast extract” to chicken broth except to synthetically enhance the flavor?
Another suspect ingredient in the label is “Organic Spices”. Another benign sounding name which most likely contains MSG.
If a spice mix is less than 50% MSG, food manufacturers don’t have to label the MSG at all!
Big Food is apparently allowed to pretend products they manufacture don’t contain any MSG when they very definitely do and even get away with trumpeting “NO MSG” on the front label of the product to catch the eye of wary consumers and fool them into purchasing their goods.
Since all chicken broth from the store, organic or not, contains MSG that I’ve ever seen, it is a MUST to make it yourself at home. It is not hard to do and will do a world of good for the health of yourself and your family by introducing real nutrition to your homemade soups and sauces rather than synthetic and dangerous flavors and enhancers that will harm your brain and more than likely disrupt your hormones and metabolism.
In a report issued by General Foods in 1947, chemists predicted that the day would come when nearly all flavors, “natural” or not, would be chemically synthesized.
That day has long since arrived, so don’t be fooled by false and misleading advertising of broths, soups, and other goods labeled “No MSG” when the truth is, they are loaded with it.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
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{ 215 comments… read them below or add one }
So when they say “natural flavors” that is probably MSG? Wow! How deceptive is that! The Costco brand just says “natural flavor” and not yeast extract but I did actually wonder about it. I only keep it so if I run out of my homemade. Better take out my chicken right now to do more broth… Thanks Sarah!
I would bet the farm that it has MSG in it. “Natural flavors” is a smoke screen for bad stuff in the processed food and it really really works in fooling consumers.
Making broth yourself is one of the top 3 things that you must master yourself in your kitchen. It is a critical skill for maintaining your health. I would even go so far as to say that if you don’t make your own homemade broth or get it from someone who does, you will not be healthy. Period. Pretty extreme I know, but homemade broth is such an essential food to health. It’s importance cannot be overemphasized.
Amen! I make stock of some sort, beef, fish, chicken, mostly chicken our favorite, weekly. My hubby calls it our “Joint Broth.”
“Making broth yourself is one of the top 3 things that you must master yourself in your kitchen” What would you say is the other two? Just wondering, because I am slowing trying to change my families diet. So far we have switched to raw milk only and I started making homemade broth from organic/free range chickens…. Trying to change everything at once is overwhelming…
There actually has been a study, published in the journal “Obesity” that did link human obesity with MSG intake. MSG damages the leptin receptors in the hypothalamus and even when the study was controlled for caloric intake, the more MSG you eat, the higher your BMI.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/msg-linked-with-obesity-58013.html
Great article!
We just cannot trust processed foods. And we cannot trust the government to protect us. Cooking from scratch is the only solution I have found.
Stanley Fishman\’s last post: When it Comes to Food, “One Size Fits All” Fits Nobody
What I’ve discovered is that many people think making soup at home with these MSG store broths is actually cooking from scratch! People don’t even understand what cooking from scratch really means anymore.
I was guilty of this years ago when I first got married and couldn’t cook a thing (I’m not kidding – I knew NOTHING) and my husband laughed at me because I thought making a pan of brownies from a box at the store and mixing in an egg and some oil was cooking them from scratch.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
Just as a silly aside; my Dad used to say “Of course I made it from scratch! I scratched open the box!”
Great article Sarah – thanks!!
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Sarah,
I would love to hear how you got into traditional foods? I think we all were like you –our moms went to work and the art of cooking from scratch went out the window.. It has been short cuts and our health is definitely paying for it. I would love to see change in this country but I don’t think it is going to happen. Most people I know, don’t even eat at home anymore – definitely don’t cook at all. So sad,
I never realized that. But of course it is true. People have become so dependent on processed foods. I have received emails from people whose total prior cooking experience was heating up packages in a microwave. Cooking is one of the most valuable skills anyone can have.
Stanley Fishman\’s last post: When it Comes to Food, “One Size Fits All” Fits Nobody
One of the big pluses when my husband and I were dating was that he was such an amazing cook. He taught me the basics and then I got motivated to get really good at it when we started thinking about kids (like … a full 8 years into our marriage). We definitely weren’t in a hurry for whatever reason. I wasn’t really ready to be a Mom in my 20′s anyway. Coming from a big family, kids were not a priority as I had already done the 24/7 chaos thing.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
That is sad, I thought that at least it was “More Homemade” than a can of soup. I grew up on canned soups, veggies, everything came from a can or a box, then the freezer. Some nights a tv dinner was like a special treat, yes, they came in aluminum trays back then too. I have come a long, long way since then, but still a long way to go. It sucks that we can’t trust organic labels!
You know, I used to make my own broth. Then my world was turned upside-down, the kids started public school (formerly homeschooled), I started working. I didn’t have the time (or so I thought) to make my own. My health has declined steadily since then, to the point where I now feel I need to do GAPS. I used to be healthy. Everyone else was getting the stomach bug, but not my family. Now, we’re the family that gets it first. I fell for the “No MSG” label on the organic broth. Silly me. I knew it wasn’t bone broth, but figured it wouldn’t hurt even if it wasn’t helping.
Anyway, right now I have a big stock pot bubbling with healthy goodness. Thank you for this post, Sarah!
Shellie\’s last post: I Found Some Local Farms!
Health is such a precious gift .. it is so easy to let it slip away with how busy everyone is and allowing the devil of convenience to slip into our food preparation one small decision at a time. Good for you for recognizing where you need to make changes and following through with determination and tenacity.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
Wow! I think it’s better to make it at home!
Does nutritional yeast also contain MSG, or is it different?
Nutritional yeast will contain MSG if it is processed at high temperatures. Frontier brand nutritional yeast is the best one as it is low temperature processed from what I remember.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
Thank you for the brand recommendation.
Hi Sarah! I’m reading about Weston Price foundation, Sally fallon and so on, but here in Italy it’s all unknown. Do you know if there is someone here in italy who talk about it, a chapter leader…sorry for may bad english…i’m italian! ps. I love your website and your videos! THANKS FOR ALL YOU ARE DOING TO HELP US TO UNDERSTAND!
Thank you!
wow.. knew about trans fat labels but didn’t know they could label msg free so long as it was less than 50%.. thankfully i couldn’t tell you the last time we ate something that we didn’t prepare ourselves.. literally its been years.. it does make traveling a bit interesting but we always seem to manage..
-jason and lisa-
Does this include all yeast. I make my own bread but I buy a container of yeast and store it in the refrigerator. What should I be looking for or do you recommend?
Baking yeast is fine for home breadmaking. Use sprouted flour though
Soaked and sourdough breads rise without yeast.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
Defeat deceit!
Once again, thanks for this important reminder to READ LABELS !
Here is our rule of thumb when shopping at the grocery store:
If the ingredients on the label list something we don’t already have in our kitchen, we do not buy that product.
Last time I checked, we didn’t have a container of “organic chicken flavor” or “natural flavor” (yeast extract or no yeast extract!) in our cupboard, so product would not even make it into our basket.
i buy organic beef broth just to have on hand when i run out of homemade – ingredients: organic beef broth (water, organic beef) organic onions, organic celery, organic carrots, organic beef flavor, organic garlic, natural flavors, sea salt, organic spice. — so this probably contains MSG too then?!
Its in the “natural flavor”!
@Gege, check westonaprice.org and click on local chapters to see if there are any in your area or at least somewhere in your country. If not, you can consider me your virtual Chapter Leader
I consider you my virtual chapter leader and I live in a city with 2 actual leaders. Sadly they are more concerned with making money on their websites then contributing anything to our community. I thank you for all the FREE information you provide on your site!!!
Viva Las Vegas!
Michelle – Ann Marie (aka Cheeseslave) lives in Las Vegas now and she kicks butt when it comes to Nourishing Traditions. She’s on Facebook and has her own blog (Cheeseslave) and I bet she could be very helpful!
Tina,
Thanks for looking out, that is kind of you. Yes she is one of our two “leaders.” She would be very helpful to me if I wanted to pay almost two hundred dollars (per category) to watch her videos. I agree with Teresa’s comments. Why even bother being a leader if you aren’t going to lead? Oh well. Enough said.
PS. Sarah, I am sorry I posted this on your site. Just VERY annoyed at certain “leadership,” feel free to delete my comments if you want. But THANK YOU, for your work- either way!
Same here Michelle! Mine never even has responded to me :/
Allison\’s last post: Wordless Wednesday, 2.22.12
Same thing here. Why be the chapter leader if you are not going to respond to people needing help. Sarah has helped me through her videos and blog more than anyone. I do appeciate you very much Sarah! Send one out to the chapter leaders who really care. Thank you Guys!
I am a third person who never got a response from the chapter leader for my area when I was trying to start a traditional diet and had joined the WAPF. Thank God for Sarah and her videos! Nourishing Traditions has great recipes and so does the GAPS book, but when you have never cooked a thing from scratch it is exceptionally overwhelming to even know how to make the basic ingredients in those recipes. I had only contacted the chapter leaders here to see if they knew of a responsible farmer. Thank goodness I discovered the Eat Wild site to answer that question.
Nicole, The Non-Toxic Nurse\’s last post: Most Cribs Are Toxic, But There Are Safe Alternatives!
Thank you so much Sarah!
Beware all food manufacturers! If you lie on your ingredients label, you may find yourself “outed” on my blog complete with revealing and embarrassing photos!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
You go girl!
Sarah, Is there any additional assurance if it is labeled. “No MSG, No MSG added” ? Not for broth, but other products?
Email me a picture of the label and I will look. I doubt it though. The No MSG thing is such a scam. I don’t know how they get away with it. If they go to the trouble to say “NO MSG” and “NO MSG Added” it seems that they “doth protesteth too much” if you know what I mean.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
I know what you mean. I read somewhere before that the scam was in “No MSG added” only. Which means it may have it… they just didn’t intentionally put it in. Applegate bacon http://www.applegatefarms.com/products/organic_sunday_bacon.aspx claims they are MSG Free…. do you buy it?
at present we are condemning the use of non veges and the manufacturers are misleading the eaters/users and adding more dangerous preservatives and unwanted contents in the products.i am not worried for my self but worried who are real users. they are be fooling to the users. so for health building purposes they are using and indirectly inviting many incurable diseases.
Thank you for posting this! I’ve been making my own broth for a year now, but still know a lot of people who think they are having something healthy when they use this product. In the stores near me, this stuff can be up to $4 a pop – those manufacturers must be laughing all the way to the bank! I’ve also wondered how they make it, like if they use mechanically separated chicken or do something to homogenize the broth and give it its taste/texture. It’s certainly not made by simmering bones and vegetables for 8 hours, and it doesn’t have any gelatin!
Lisa T\’s last post: Sandpoint to Missoula: Serendipitous Strangers, Free Camping
Good topic Sarah. I just read an entire book on this topic, called Excitotoxins, which gets into the biology of exactly how MSG kills brain cells, not only in the hypothalamus, but for babies, elderly and others with compromised blood-brain barriers, elsewhere in the brain. I also learned from this book and from other sources that some of the alternate names for MSG, in addition to the ones you listed, are: Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP), Autolyzed Plant Protein, Sodium Caseinate, Calcium Caseinate and Textured Protein. At least those are the ones with a very HIGH percentage of MSG. There are TONS more, like Brown Rice Syrup, Milk Powder, Natural Flavors (also listed on your package above) and others that contain a bit less, but still some glutamate.
Nevra @ ChurnYourOwn\’s last post: How to Churn and Clarify Butter from Cream
I once had a list of food ingredients that were other names that msg goes by. It was very long! It’s very deceptive that natural food manufacturers put this in their products. There are many, many people who trust these companies’ products because they are “natural” and even “organic.”
Chicken broth and other broths are super-easy to make at home. It’s cheaper and more nutritious. Thank goodness we can each make choices to eat, healthier, homemade, traditional foods at home, instead of buying some of the yucky, aux-food found at the health food store.
Beth Stowers\’s last post: GMO in Foods: What Are Genetically Modified Organisms (and Why Are They Are So Dangerous)
I would also be very wary of the term organic chicken flavor. I’m always curious above “flavors” and flavor enhancers. Some company just put out a flavor enhancer packet that you’re supposed to add to your cooked foods – I saw it advertised but didn’t catch the whole ad so don’t know who makes it. Can you just imagine what’s in that stuff? Blech.
Someone might have mentioned this above but i don’t get these “articles” until about 2 days after they’re out for publication (don’t know why – I’m signed up on email and on RSS feed but by the time I get them there are always at least 40-50 responses or more, so my thoughts are usually not very original sounding! Sorry if it was mentioned before but I don’t have time right now to read a bunch of responses.
“Natural flavors” my foot. Nothing natural about it except that it *may* mimic a flavor’s natural taste. Otherwise, phoney! Thanks, Sarah.
Sally_Oh\’s last post: How I’d Treat Cancer
I agree with all of the Nourishing Traditions way of preparing and eating. It is difficult to find chicken that is healthy, to make my own broth and not break the bank. I do my best and pray for the day when wholesome food wouldn’t be a luxury. I feel for ones less financially secure than we are. I can see how the cheap food industry has most coming back for more. Most are clueless on the whole good food/bad food situation.
This isn’t knew information to me but a great post nonetheless. You’re kicking *ss for real food class. You are doing a great service for so many people. I NEVER miss your posts. Ever.
Thanks Tina
I try to balance the newbie posts with more in depth posts as best I can. There is quite a mix of readers here for sure. Very hard for me to decide sometimes how deep to dive with a particular topic without losing new people. I know sometimes I am preaching to the choir with some of this, but the goal is to cast an ever widening net and you more experienced readers are a HUGE help in the comments section with newbies needing clarification on various points covered.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
Thanks for the info! I used to buy a little bit of broth to use for some recipes. Now I only make my own and we always make soup from scratch – for real
The thing is though, there are a few packaged foods I buy that have ‘natural flavor’, I know that’s a no no. I just don’t have time to make my own everything, I already make so much…
Anastasia @ Eco-Babyz\’s last post: Hyland’s Baby Cough Syrup Review and Baby Basket Giveaway
When I read the title of your article, I thought “oh, no, here we go again. another article that will depress the hell outta me.” Well, it does depress but it’s sooooo important to know. I had no idea!! I thought I was being so clever buying no MSG broth. What a fool I’ve been! The depressing part is that our food industry is just out to make a buck and where did pride in your product go? Who knows? I guess the byword (and the “buyword”) is that you have to take TOTAL responsibility for what you eat. You can’t trust BIG FOOD anymore than you can trust Big Pharma. It hurts but it’s true.
I’m sorry to depress you Karen :0 I’m actually a very upbeat, cheerful person believe it or not. I am just so sick and tired of these Big Food companies HARMING OUR CHILDREN with these lies and deceptions. Someone has to blow the whistle on these crooks. And, many of the organic food companies are not as innocent as they pretend to be.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
Hi Sarah
My bouillon base , which I use when I run out of homemade broth, lists yeast as it’s first ingredient, then onion,natural chicken flavour, celery, black pepper, glucose, molasses,
herbs and spices. I liked it because there is no salt. So what can you use in emegencies?
You must keep a bunch of homemade broth frozen in the freezer for emergencies and for a quick thaw for a fast meal of homemade soup.
Bouillon cubes are LOADED with MSG. You can absolutely never ever use them as a sub for homemade broth.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
PLUS, the perk in making your own homemade chicken broth for soups and stuff is you only use what you need. When you open those tetra-packs from the store, not only do they contain MSG, but if you don’t use the entire amount in 14 days or so, it expires and you have to throw it out! Before I started making my own broth, it seemed like I never used the full amount in the tetra-packs for my recipes. That’s a lot of money wasted. When you make your own, you just thaw what you need and keep the rest in the freezer. Yay!
Megan\’s last post: The Baby Days
In the 1850′s the average man live to be 52 and the average woman lived to be 35. The average man stood five foot two inches tall. I’ve seen soldier uniforms from the Civil War. Amazing. What changed? Nutrition. We had an agricultural revolution that fed us more; we grew larger and lived longer. Now things are beginning to change. We’re living longer unhealthy lives. Our children are falling prey to adult degenerative diseases and the rate of Autism has skyrocketed from one in ten thousand to one in seventy; in some states the rate of Autism are even higher, some as high as one in forty six. Our population is growing increasingly obese and the average person is too busy to know what to do about it. They don’t know where the food comes from…they think it comes from the store. The average person has no connection to the land; many may never have even played in the dirt as a kid. I read somewhere that they found bacteria in the soil that stimulate the production of melatonin and serotonin; things that give us pleasure. No wonder kids like to get dirty, it feels good.
We need to reconnect with the land and learn how to do things like make a REAL nutritious meal.
well said, thank you for that.
Whenever I roast a chicken (I just brine it in 1 T sea salt overnight, them roast at 350 for 1 hour) I save the gooey drippings, freeze it, and use it as a concentrated broth. Very convenient. And tasty. I’ve been doing this for many years and never once have been tempted to buy packaged chicken broth.
Where can I find a list of alternative MSG names?
There is a link in the post .. click on “yeast extract”
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: Chicken Broth: “No MSG” Labels Are False
Oh Sarah, this really burns me up! That is the brand that I have been buying! Thanks for the heads up! I am tired of these deceivers! I am making my list and these companies are going on it! (Very bad for them!) Sad to have to be so cynical about so many things, but SHOW ME! I am going to watch them like a hawk! Thanks for reminding us not to let the whitewash fool us!
Oh my! All I can say is thanks for this information…..you always help us understand things. I also thought when they labeled something as “no” it meant “no”….obviously not! I make all our own chicken and beef stock but my daughter buys organic stock (she works full time). Maybe this is why she gets migraines alot??? Goodness!! Appreciate all your hard work! Oh, we did know that soy is labeled under about 30 other names, we learned that because our grandson is severely allergic to soy!
Do you have a link for the soy names? I would bet you a $1 that this contributes to her migraines. I avoid natural flavors and spices on ingredient list because of hidden sources of gluten (I have celiac) but WOW. Thanks Sarah for keeping us informed.
This is ABSOLUTELY a reason for her migraines! I posted below that my neurologist said to strictly avoid MSG (all names) and just that alone did amazing things for me. I have moved on to WAPF and haven’t had a single migraine in over 2+ years!
Just wanted to mention these were not the “walking down the hall, oh, I have such a migraine” migraines. These were the “the ER docs think you are having a stroke” type of migraines.
this is important to know and understand
Sadly, this is another example of how deceptive food labels are. Reading packaging labels and ingredient labels has become almost a science. Thanks for passing on this information.
Patee R\’s last post: A Butter Shortage: What Does This Mean?
This post reminds me to call my sister – lol She told me she found these soup stock things from Knorr that were like little gelatin blobs – I guess more like a fume, in a sense. Anyway I checked them out at the store and they are no better than the bouillion crap. She, like my mother, thinks ‘who has time to cook anyways’. sheesh. I had forgotten all about those cube things – thanks for the reminder
This isn’t new to me but am glad that more people are aware of this trick food people pull on the consumers. But it is depressing that we have to make everything from scratch
Serene in Singapore\’s last post: A Typical Day
I have heard though – that the chicken broth you make at home, if simmered for a long time, will contain natural MSG. I think mushrooms do too. And some people are sensitive enough to be intolerant of that even. But the natural MSG that is formed in these is bound up in protein such that it doesn’t harm the body?
Fascinating stuff…
The Kitchen Basics brand has stock that doesnt have any msg, yeast extract, natural flavors or anything. Have you seen that brand Sarah? It seems good.
Thank you Sarah for putting this out there!!! A few years ago a neurologist told me to avoid MSG in all its guises to deal with my very severe migraines. It’s in every commercial food package! Even carageenan (sp?) in organic cream is/has “MSG”. Long story short, after some time I could tell you if there was even a trace of MSG in the room.
Never found a packaged broth I could tolerate. It was not until I found WAPF and ordered meat directly from a farmer that I could have beef on a regular basis. (Some people say beef is treated with MSG-like chemicals when processing, I don’t know but there was something in there.)
I just tell people who ask what I should look for on the label, if it has a label, don’t buy it.
WAPF/GAPS is the best thing that happened to me though I still have hormonal problems. Do you think there is a shot that the hypothalamus will ever heal?
Anyone have any good ideas on how to get broth into a meal besides soup or as the liquid to make rice? My family tires of soup and we try to limit rice. No one but me will just drink broth. I appreciate anyone’s ideas!
Thanks Sarah for another great post!
Hi Sarah – These are the ingredients on a foil package of tuna: Light tuna, sunflower oil, water, vegetable broth, salt. Then says: Contains Fish, Soy. Ugh, soy, but do you think it contains msg also?
Now, I’m just offering this comment mostly as an observation. I have not read a lot of research but this is just something that I’ve noticed. I’m half-Vietnamese and I grew up with food that had MSG in it. In fact, a lot of Asian food has MSG in it, as I’m sure you already know. However, I’ve never heard of Asians complaining of the ailments that others do around the world and they attribute it to MSG. I’ve also not suffered from these ailments. I actually don’t go out of my way to add it but I know that it’s added to most food products in some form. We eat mostly whole foods so I don’t worry about it too much.
I also read this article and found it interesting.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10/foodanddrink.features3
Just some fodder for discussion!
What about “natural flavors” in the organic Cascadian Farms oj? Just saw it and wasn’t too happy about it!
I’m a little late posting, but better late than never. I just located your blog about a week ago and I’m totally engrossed with all you have to say. BUT, this post is wonderful and backs up what I’ve been preaching for over 30 years…avoiding MSG (et al)!
I suffered horrible migraines when I was in my early 40′s, and after seeing two separate doctors, I still got no relief. During a casual conversation with my sister, she mentioned having what she called “The China Syndrome” and i asked what she meant. At the time, I was using “Accent” in many foods, especially gravies. After she described her difficulties using MSG, everything fell into place. I began avoiding MSG and my headaches disappeared…what a relief!!! I had also suffered from severe depression and this avoidance cleared up that difficulty as well.
I now carry the list of hidden MSG’s with me at all times, but I very, very seldom buy anything processed these days and only do IF the product passes “my test”. Eating out also has its difficulties. So much of the foods served these days contain one form of it or another. Even one meal order may have 2 to 3 separate foods that contain a form of MSG…i.e., the salad dressing, the seasoning on the meat, and a flavoring added to a vegetable. If I order from a restaurant, I have to order “bare bones” or it’s “headache and depression time” for me.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL BLOG!!!
Hi!
I’ve started looking at labels recently. Especially the ingredients list. My husband and I always heard that MSG is bad for you. It’s really scary to see other words that are the same as MSG in the ingredients. I can’t believe food manufacturers can get away with labeling no MSG on their labels, when in fact there is! That’s being deceitful to the general public! Also, I was diagnosed with MS 2 years ago; I should read all food labels. It’s a shame most foods have MSG.
Very interesting.
I came across your website by accident and read the MSG article. I love your website!
There is a brand of broth that you can buy at the store called Kitchen Basics.
They make beef and vegetable broths as well. The package claims that they do not use or produce MSG in there products.
The ingredient list for the chicken broth is- Chicken stock, chicken flavor, sea salt, vegetable stocks(carrot, onion, mushroom, celery), honey, bay, thyme, pepper.
I make my own….it tastes so much better too
I keep homemade broth in the freezer. I do keep an “emergency” store bought broth on hand just in case, but its not my “goto” product.
No!!!!! Never! Make my own bone broth and freeze it for future use.
I make my own too. I agree it tastes so much better and the health benefits are endless!
Homemade is by far superior and so easy! I’m so glad I learned how to make it! Now I keep 3 jars in my freezer (till I learn to can) at all time when I’m down to 2 I make more and have 3-4 extra! Love it
I make my own, but how long can you keep it in the freezer before it’s no longer good to eat?
omg! no way! since I have realized we can make our own SO easily, I have totally stopped buying ANY from the store
I make my own. Either freeze it or pressure can it.
So easy! I’ve been doing it forever
I am going to be making my own soon. Been saving up my chicken carcasses. Just a question…. How do you store it? I was thinking of jarring or canning it so it could be stored in my pantry. Is that possible?
What if non-pastured and non-organic chicken is your only option — then which is better?
I use to make it but unfortunately I cannot get free range organic chicken where I am.
Crystal Solti it is always better to make your own chicken broth than buy that water in a tetra pak at the healthfood store. Even if the chickens are not organic.
O M G! I will make my own organic Chicken broth from now on! O M G!
Cant get mine to gel no matter what i try..
What about the Kitchen Basics brand? I buy that one sometimes when I am pressed for time.
What about organic vegetable broth or stock?
This is what I needed to know ! Thanks
Made some yesterday….
. It it beautiful and super nutritious!
WOW!
Even if you buy a Rotisserie chicken from the store, use the remains for stock (and sandwiches if there is meat left over). It is still, by far cheaper and better for you than store-bought. I have had to buy stock…moved…it is really difficult to find one with the least amount of ingredients. I don’t remember the brand, but I did finally find one that was just filtered water, chicken, salt, and vegetables. No yeasts. No “spices.”
So disappointed!
This is so infuriating! Thanks for the info!
@Patricia Wells, You can order in pastured chickens backs to make your own stock from US Wellness.
Wow, I didn’t realize. This is a major bummer. Thanks for the very clear heads up.
I just looked at the box of broth in my frig. It is from “Simple Truth Organic” (Kroger’s) & it states “yeast extracts”….UGH! Thank you, Sara, for bringing this to the light! I will definitely
stick it making my own & NOT relying on this as a backup. To make real broth is not difficult at all!
I’m MSG sensitive and have yet to find any pre-made broth that is MSG free, no matter the type – chicken, beef, even vegetable. If it has “natural flavors”, it has MSG.
Thanks Charlotte but they do not ship to Canada. So Sarah are you saying that if you cannot get good chicken then it is Ok to get one from the store to make stock as to not making any at all?
I make my own!
I make my own broth. No MSG means the MSG is listed by another name like Hydrolized Vegetable Protein or something.
I buy my chicken at Target when I can’t get to Wholefoods, I get Just Bare brand (http://www.justbarechicken.com/ ) and if they don’t have those I will get the Gold’n Plump brand (they also have a website).
Thank you for this info Sarah, I just checked my pantry for my “all natural organic free range” broths ($2-$3 more than regular too) and there was the yeast extract!!! Don’t know why I never questioned that being used in a broth? Going to return them, buy a chicken, and make it myself!!
I make homemade broth/stock and usually have lots on hand in the freezer. However, in a pinch, sometimes I have to use organic boxed broth. I hate doing it, though – it’s so expensive, and doesn’t taste remotely the same.
I just checked my organic Chicken Stock (not broth) it has a listing for natural flavor- what do you think that is?
Doing that as we speak! SUPER BOWL CHICKEN SOUP! Then let the bone broth begin! I don’t even like the ‘taste ‘ or lack of in store bought broth! Once you make your own, you can FEEL & taste the difference all the way around!
Laura Penney Laurie MSG!!!!
I am making buffalo chicken wings for tonight and saving the wing tips and the bones to make bone broth
Also, I never buy chicken that has chicken broth injected into it as flavoring, like Purdue Tender and Tasty. I haven’t been able to buy chicken from my farmer because coyotes killed most of his chickens. So, I buy the organic free range chicken at the store.
Thanks for the information.
So outrageous that such labels are false!
I used to…but thankfully I have seen the error of my ways and now make homemade!
I always try to make my own for this very reason. Thanks again, healthyhomeeconomist!!
Sarah Rawson Sprouse We have all been fooled at one time or another! The key is to stay on top of the cat and mouse games and stay one step ahead of these sneaky Food Manufacturers.
Can I can homemade bone broth?
I stopped using the boxed broths a few years ago. Read the label and said to myself, “Hmmmm. How will my minestrone soup taste if I use water instead?” So, I added water to my organic veggies instead of the convenient broth? Fantastic. When I make my own broth it must be from an organic chicken.
I always use pure water…no boxed broths.
I was just reading that if it’s not *added* MSG, it can fall under the heading of Natural Flavors! http://fedup.com.au/factsheets/additive-and-natural-chemical-factsheets/621-msg-and-the-new-flavour-enhancers. It’s discussed in the sulphite or nitrate/nitrite section too. I was bummed to read that annatto used in WF’s yellow/orage American cheese, while natural, is causing problems. My husband is none to happy as we eliminate one more food item from our household.
So “Natural Flavors” are now suspect. Great.
And I AWAYS buy organic chicken…it’s gotten so I “schifo” the regular stuff. lol
my hubby is butchering chickens today…. bone broth here we come!
I have what is probably a silly question about the omega 3 supplements- how do we absorb it from cooked fish if it is of no value once heated? What is it about ingesting it in its natural form that allows us to utilize it heated? (I realize and agree that natural is always better, but I’m really curious about this one )
Actually have some beef bones brewin right now
Amber Morrison, Amber Dailey, Becky Reed, Tracy Miller Isch,
Its so much tastier and cheaper to make your own broth. I buy a bag of beef soup bones any time I am at the butcher shop for a couple of $ or I buy chicken soup bones. Sometimes they give the soup bones free as I am a regular customer! I cook soups, pilaos, add to gravy. Its all good and wholesome. I freeze the stock in little containers.
so deceiving and despicable they can get away with this. I love to use broth from reconstituting dried shiitake mushrooms from!
Just made a double batch today!
I am not surprised!
For those wondering about canning…it’s sooo easy! Get a current copy of the Ball canning guide and it’s got simple instructions for canning broth. Make sure you’ve got the right tools and canning is a cinch!
I am no advocate for big food producers but you might get your facts straight regarding the claimed dangers of MSG – I find no scientific proof for what you are saying about its dire effects on what you call the “hormonal system” (whatever that is). Criticise unnatural foods and champion the natural but there is little point in urban legends and scare tactics to support ones “faith.”
Hidden msg? Where?
Natural flavor. Ewww
Nothing natural about poison!
“Natural flavour”
“Natural Flavor” = MSG
That’s so wrong!!
The natural flavor
“Natural Flavor.”
Does celery root contain a lot of sodium and nitrates?
Forget yeast extract. “Natural flavors” can be anything from MSG to aspartame and you’d never know. I’m starting to disqualify anything with that in it. You don’t need to flavor something if it is actually real food.
Also wondering why they would use black pepper extract vs. plain old ground black pepper.
Natural Flavor. Arsenic, Uranium and petroleum are Natural too.
I finally stopped getting migraines after I found out that “natural flavor” and citric acid can both contain MSG, and stopped eating any product containing those ingredients. It was like a miracle for me.
Oh no way! Dang, how can they lie and say all natural and organic. I know MSG is made from a vegetable that chemically processed so its not in its natural form.
“Natural flavour” Indeed!!!
What a bummer! That’s so deceiving!
healthy means vegan!
natural flavor
Curious, about your thoughts regarding the following information about Yeast Extract….
Many fresh products naturally contain glutamate. We find it in tomatoes, peas and mushrooms. Glutamate also is one of the many natural components of yeast extract. Even our body produces glutamate. Regardless of the food we consume, it is found in our saliva and breast milk. Yeast extract has a glutamate content of typically about 5%.
One tomato for instance provides twice as much glutamate as a cup of bouillon made purely of yeast extract.
“Natural Flavor”. Sometimes MSG can be called “Natural Chicken Flavor” or “Natural xxx Flavor”.
Oh, of course
Actually, there is MSG naturally produced in bone broth and many other things. It is just a million times worse when it is manufactured in a factory like all of the other man made toxins.
The newest research shows nitrates are not only not bad for you they are actually good for you. http://chriskresser.com/the-nitrate-and-nitrite-myth-another-reason-not-to-fear-bacon
Omgosh! THANK you! I have been trying to research what the heck “natural flavor” is and there’s not much out there on it. I knew it had to be chemical. :/ shame on them.
Actually, a lot of poisons are naturally occurring…
natural flavor eeeek
It’s too bad that a company that makes this product with all this on the label has to mess it up with natural flavor. What sense does this make. BTW-I made some homemade broth that was simmered for 24 hours with some apple cider vinegar to pull out the minerals from the bones and it was awesome tasting.Used grass fed organic chicken.
Dena Mccall-Crow
It is so easy to make it yourself, well worth the try.
Yes but not supposed to be part of a healthy diet lol. The point is the label is deceptive. “Natural” is not an accurate word for a label if it ends up hurting your body. We should not add any naturally occurring poison to our food. This pic was about eating and ingredients on the food label.
Yay natural flavor… smh
Yep, Natural Flavor.
It’s grouped in with “natural flavors”.
Natural flavors
I haven’t been able to figure out what’s bad about MSG?
and just what is “natural flavor”????
yeah…the natural flavor
natural flavor
Natural flavor!
Yeast extract
when something is ‘concentrate’ it can contain many hidden ingredients also, allowed in the making of the concentrate not required to be listed. think of all the perfectly uniform juices out there…
Natural flavor
Yes natura flavor can be full of msg and other bad for you stuff.
The sodium in store bought stock is OUTRAGEOUS! I won’t even add any to my dog’s food
I always thought organic products weren’t allowed to contain MSG. Apparently not…any other “Organic” products I need to avoid?
It can be anything as it’s not a regulated term. Companies will often say what it is on their website but why add it in the first place. Real natural food doesn’t need to be flavored by corn-derived (usually what they say it is) ingredients.
Natural Flavor
Why do they do that?? I know someone allergic to MSG! It shouldn’t be hidden.
From what I heard just today, glutamate is naturally occurring in the body and makes your neurons fire excitedly, thus its addictive quality. Processing additional glutamate in the form of MSG is just too much for some people’s bodies, but does not affect everyone the same way. Some people get massive headaches, some people can’t lose weight, some people are fine.
Natural flavor.
Natural flavor can also include ‘beaver anal gland’ http://www.dogpile.com/search/web?fcoid=417&fcop=topnav&fpid=27&q=beaver+anal+gland+natural+flavor+approved+by+fda&ql=
Natural flavour
Don’t quality ingredients have “natural flavor”? Terrible example of deceptive advertising.
Natural is an unregulated word that Means nothing.
natural flavour
Natural flavor…NOT! Making chicken broth is so easy…not buying it ever again. (Is that a double negative?)
As a rule, anything with “natural flavors” is out.
Natural flavor, just had to throw out 2 boxes of almond milk not noticing on the ingredients
Natural Flavor
Natural flavor!
Email and call Costco – I make my own – but w 3 teenage boys it is hard to keep enough- Costco might just do better— and it would be better for ALL
Also – explain how we know it is MSG and not something else? (So I can be educated when I pass this on to family and friends)
Crazy and incredible!!!
msg is naturally occurring, found in tomatos, parmesian cheese, aged beef, among other things, and does not cause any adverse health effects. All the stories about MSG are false. Check it out.
I’m glad that it works for you. It didn’t for me.
http://www.thebrothery.com/Default.asp this is a great resource for truly organic chicken bone broth and it absolutely delicious! My mom and partner are both doing this now it’s very mineral dense and support joint and bone health
The comment about MSG I don’t agree with at all, it’s not natural in any fashion! It’s scientifically supported
Pacific chicken broth also sold at Costco – states on their website that their broth does not have msg, or gmo’s for that matter. I have put in an email to what “chicken flavor” is.
Msg’s affects are not a bunch of crap. I get an instant migraine from it and so do 2 of my kids. We have to be very careful what we give our kids and many times that means being told no they cant have something someone offers them. Same with food dye, corn syrup and aspartame. If its all a bunch of lies told then why does all of that make my kids, and many others we know, sick when they eat it?
Oh wow, you had me shocked with that first sentence! But you just meant the fake stuff from the store. I make chicken stock every day (continuous pot), with organic pastured chicken feet. It’s the real thing, and my family of seven loves the daily nourishment.
Something please explain to me about this “natural flavour”. So does it mean when you buy something that says natural flavour that it actually isn’t natural?!!
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Beaver’s anal excretion is natural, but I sure don’t want it in my belly!
Steer clear of that “natural flavor”…
Natural flavor . . . what a lie!
Natural flavor. The box even says “No MSG”.
Something I recently heard, but are unsure if it is true is msg is made from seaweed and Sea Salt may also contain msg if created near or with the location of the seaweed manufacturer
Omg Jennifer Dayley, that just made me laugh!
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