Harriet Neal wrote:

> "jake" > wrote in message
> . nl...
>
>>iarwain wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I recently wanted to try a recipe containing MSG, but I was unable to
>>>find it in any local grocery store. I then looked online and was
>>>unable to find a source either. Have they stopped making it? I know
>>>some people have reported harmful reactions to it, although I remember
>>>my mother using it on occasion and we never had any trouble with it.
>>>Is there an online source for it anywhere or has the FDA banned it
>>>entirely?
>>>
>>
>>Sometimes you can find it as Ve Tsin and I believe there are other names,
>>too. MSG stands for monosodium glutamate. So maybe reading labels will
>>help. It is a white powder.
>>
>>It is NOT unhealthy, glutamtes are natural. you can find them in stocks,
>>for instance. I believe that whole thing about Chinese restaurants and
>>feeling sick turned out to have been caused by something other than MSG.
>
>
>
>
> yeah, look out for the "B" or "C" rating card in the window..
>
> Harriet & critters
>
>
I am sorry, I don't know what that means?

Does it help to add that MSG has never had a bad name in The
Netherlands- it seems to be an Anglosaxon scare (to me0?

"jake" > wrote
>
> Does it help to add that MSG has never had a bad name in The
> Netherlands- it seems to be an Anglosaxon scare (to me0?

Angles and Saxons are both Germanic peoples as are the Nederlanders. The
reaction to MSG is an individual thing and not a cultural or racial thing.

Charlie

Charles Gifford wrote:
> "jake" > wrote
>
>>Does it help to add that MSG has never had a bad name in The
>>Netherlands- it seems to be an Anglosaxon scare (to me0?
>
>
> Angles and Saxons are both Germanic peoples as are the Nederlanders.

Yet, the term AnglsoSaxon is not typcally used for the Netherlands.

The
> reaction to MSG is an individual thing and not a cultural or racial thing.
>
The only peopel I have ever heard talk about the supposed dangers of MSG
were North American or Australian. In Holland, it isn't talked about.
That's what I meant by cultural. Doe that clarify things?

"jake" > wrote in message
. nl...
> Charles Gifford wrote:
> > "jake" > wrote
> >
> >>Does it help to add that MSG has never had a bad name in The
> >>Netherlands- it seems to be an Anglosaxon scare (to me0?
> >
> >
> > Angles and Saxons are both Germanic peoples as are the Nederlanders.
>
> Yet, the term AnglsoSaxon is not typcally used for the Netherlands.

That's true yet the common useage of "Anglo-Saxon" is also incorrect.
Eitherway my comment is valid.

> The
> > reaction to MSG is an individual thing and not a cultural or racial
thing.
> >
> The only peopel I have ever heard talk about the supposed dangers of MSG
> were North American or Australian.

I don't doubt it for a minute. Americans, Canadians and Australians tend to
be more free to gripe about things than the nice Netherlanders. <smile>

> In Holland, it isn't talked about.
> That's what I meant by cultural. Doe that clarify things?

Yes. I understand what you are saying. But any reaction to MSG is not
cultural. However, as you pointed out, the complaints about MSG are more
common in certain cultures. It is not that the "reaction" to MSG is more
common in certain cultures but, rather, complaining is.

Charlie

jake wrote:
> Harriet Neal wrote:
> >>It is NOT unhealthy, glutamtes are natural. you can find them in stocks,
> >>for instance. I believe that whole thing about Chinese restaurants and
> >>feeling sick turned out to have been caused by something other than MSG.
> >
> > yeah, look out for the "B" or "C" rating card in the window..
> >
> > Harriet & critters
> >
> I am sorry, I don't know what that means?

Sarcasm referring to getting sick from dirty kitchens. Many localities
in the U.S. have inspectors who check for cleanliness in restaurants.
They check kitchens and serving areas and storage areas, score them
against predetermined criteria and arrive at a rating. Here in L.A. an
A rating is best, B says they can remain open but need to fix some
things, and I think C causes at least a brief shutdown and cleanup.
Not sure about that.

Interestingly, there have been cultural clashes in this regard, as some
traditional Chinese practices don't meet local standards. Most
notably, hanging roasted ducks in the open at room temperature is
deemed to be unhealthful. Chinese restaurateurs and deli operators
countered that they'd been doing it that way for hundreds of years
without a lot of people keeling over. Politicians get involved.
Some folks on either side get outraged. Other folks find it
entertaining political theater. Compromises are reached. -aem

aem wrote:

> jake wrote:
>
>>Harriet Neal wrote:
>>
>>>>It is NOT unhealthy, glutamtes are natural. you can find them in stocks,
>>>>for instance. I believe that whole thing about Chinese restaurants and
>>>>feeling sick turned out to have been caused by something other than MSG.
>>>
>>>yeah, look out for the "B" or "C" rating card in the window..
>>>
>>>Harriet & critters
>>>
>>
>>I am sorry, I don't know what that means?
>
>
> Sarcasm referring to getting sick from dirty kitchens. Many localities
> in the U.S. have inspectors who check for cleanliness in restaurants.
> They check kitchens and serving areas and storage areas, score them
> against predetermined criteria and arrive at a rating. Here in L.A. an
> A rating is best, B says they can remain open but need to fix some
> things, and I think C causes at least a brief shutdown and cleanup.
> Not sure about that.
>

Thank you for the explanation. Here, we only have open or closed.
Although there must be companies that get warnings, too, but the
warnings are not made public.

Anything other then A would be baaaad for business, I would think. I am
surprised it actually exists. If that were my business, the A would be a
top priority,

> Interestingly, there have been cultural clashes in this regard, as some
> traditional Chinese practices don't meet local standards. Most
> notably, hanging roasted ducks in the open at room temperature is
> deemed to be unhealthful. Chinese restaurateurs and deli operators
> countered that they'd been doing it that way for hundreds of years
> without a lot of people keeling over. Politicians get involved.
> Some folks on either side get outraged. Other folks find it
> entertaining political theater. Compromises are reached. -aem
>
I see Peking duck at room temp here, too. I wonder what the law says
about that. But no deaths gave been reported. Maybe MSG works as a
preservative

jake wrote:
> I see Peking duck at room temp here, too. I wonder what the law says
> about that. But no deaths gave been reported. Maybe MSG works as a
> preservative

Roasting at 450F and keeping in a clean environment works as a
preservative.

Thank your local health department that the environments stay
relatively clean (as compared to say a duck stall next to a livery
stable in Shanghai in 1554...)

--Blair

In article . com>,
says...
>
> Interestingly, there have been cultural clashes in this regard, as some
> traditional Chinese practices don't meet local standards. Most
> notably, hanging roasted ducks in the open at room temperature is
> deemed to be unhealthful. Chinese restaurateurs and deli operators
> countered that they'd been doing it that way for hundreds of years
> without a lot of people keeling over. Politicians get involved.
> Some folks on either side get outraged. Other folks find it
> entertaining political theater. Compromises are reached. -aem
>
<chuckle>

Once politicians (and often 'senior civil servants') get involved, things often
turn into custard.

Here in New Zealand, for instance, the authorities at some point got hold of
the idea that pasteurizing milk is A Good Thing. Henceforce, they made it
illegal for any cheese to be manufactured from un-pasturized milk (with the
argument that this was to prevent listeria - which is BS because listeria gets
into cheese at the *other* end of the process, but never mind). They have put
cheese factories out of business because their receipes no longer worked; Dutch
and Swiss boutique cheesemakers are not allowed to use traditional recipes ...
this has been going on since before the 80ies when I moved here, and they are
absolutely immovable about it. Compromises will not be reached. <sigh>

If there's one thing I miss here, it's good European cheese.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

In article >,
says...
>
> Does it help to add that MSG has never had a bad name in The
> Netherlands- it seems to be an Anglosaxon scare (to me0?
>

When I was living in Germany in the late 70ies I knew a couple of people who
used to get migraine type headaches from ingesting MSG.

Apparently there's a certain percentage of people who are allergic to it in
this way. Funnily enough, I haven't met anyone else with that problem since,
even though I now live in a predominantly Anglosaxon country :-)

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

> When I was living in Germany in the late 70ies I knew a couple of people who
> used to get migraine type headaches from ingesting MSG.
>
> Apparently there's a certain percentage of people who are allergic to it in
> this way. Funnily enough, I haven't met anyone else with that problem since,
> even though I now live in a predominantly Anglosaxon country :-)
>
> -P.
> I wish I remembered where I rad about the MSG scare not being MSG
realted but the health problems turning out t o have a different cause.
Which was dealt with and that's why the reaction isn't heard about anymore.

Anyway, my point was not that the reaciton only happens in certain
cultures. My point was that the reputation of MSG is diiferent in
different cultures.

"jake" > wrote
>
> I wish I remembered where I rad about the MSG scare not being MSG
> realted but the health problems turning out t o have a different cause.
> Which was dealt with and that's why the reaction isn't heard about
anymore.

Not heard about anymore? It is a regular feature in this newsgroup. If you
haven't heard about it for a while allow me: I have a mild reaction to MSG
if it is used in large amounts as it is now and then by bad cooks.

> Anyway, my point was not that the reaciton only happens in certain
> cultures. My point was that the reputation of MSG is diiferent in
> different cultures.

And your point is still wrong. It is not cultural.....it is biological. Your
last sentence may well be correct.

Charlie