Look Out: Maggi Noodles, Your Favourite Go-To Snack, May Have Too Much MSG

It's hot, it's stringy, it's the ultimate comfort food and all it needs is just two minutes! Maggi Noodles, your favourite go-to snack has come under fire after some samples in Uttar Pradesh were found to be high in Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

Food Safety And Drug Administration (FSDA) Lucknow collected a few samples and sent them to Kolkata for testing. The report found the samples to contain Monosodium glutamate (MSG) beyond permissible limit. (Six Chemicals We Consume in Our Food and Drink That Should be Banned)

According to Mayo Clinic, "Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a kind of flavour enhancer that's usually added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and meat." MSG has been a popular food additive for years and is usually regarded as safe, when used in limited quantity only. But too much MSG in your food can lead to headache, sweating, burning on the face, neck and other areas. It can also cause to nausea and weakness. When MSG is consumed over a longer period of time,

it can also damage the nervous system.

According to Dr. Simran Saini, Nutritionist at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi "High amounts of Monosodium glutamate (MSG) can cause a gradual increase in blood pressure.  And for people who are already hypertensive, it creates further problems."

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She added, "MSG doesn't suit everyone and reacts differently in different people. It could cause bloating, water retention and ultimately weight-gain. Lastly, we've seen that MSG affects the nerves, destablisises your nervous system and can cause long-term problems."

The lab results showed that Maggi contained 17 parts per million (PPM) of Lead (Pb), whereas the permissible limit was merely 0.01ppm. FSDA Assistant Commissioner Vijay Bahadur Yadav said, "We have tested Maggi samples at Kolkata's referral laboratory. The test results show that there are added monosodium glutamate and excess of lead. We have ordered further sampling" (as reported by a popular news website).

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A Nestle spokesperson was quoted saying that their product contains less than 1 percent MSG. The high levels of MSG, if present, may have come from naturally occurring sources. A Nestle spokesperson expresses his surprise regarding these lab results and was quoted saying that their product contains less than 1 percent MSG. The high levels of MSG, if present, may have come from naturally occurring sources. He also said that Indian regulators have not specified the limit for the amount of MSG that can be added (as reported by a popular daily).