Ingredient Index · E621

Is MSG banned in Europe?

Legal in both

No: MSG (E621) is authorized as a flavor enhancer in both the EU and the US. The "banned in Europe" claim is a myth, and the decades-old health panic around it never held up in controlled studies.

E-number: E621CAS: 142-47-2 Also seen as: Monosodium glutamate, E621, Sodium glutamate, Ajinomoto

What the EU does

Authorized, not banned. Monosodium glutamate is permitted across the EU as flavor enhancer E621 under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, with maximum levels set per food category and mandatory labeling as "monosodium glutamate" or "E621". Its specifications sit in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012. You will find it openly declared on plenty of European packaged food.

Europe did tighten the dial, but tightening is not banning. In a 2017 re-evaluation, EFSA set a group acceptable daily intake of 30 mg per kilogram of body weight per day for glutamic acid and glutamates, and flagged that some high consumers could exceed it, which prompted a look at lowering certain maximum use levels. That is ordinary additive housekeeping. The substance stays legal, labeled, and widely used.

Citation Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II (E621); Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012; EFSA 2017 re-evaluation (group ADI 30 mg/kg bw/day)

What the US does

Equally legal. The FDA classifies MSG as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) and has for decades. When it is added to a food, the label must say "monosodium glutamate". The FDA does not let a product claim "No MSG" if it contains ingredients that are naturally rich in free glutamate, like hydrolyzed protein or autolyzed yeast, which tells you how commonplace and unremarkable the regulator considers it.

The "Chinese restaurant syndrome" panic that shadowed MSG for half a century came from a single anecdotal letter in 1968, not a study. Controlled, blinded trials since then have mostly failed to reproduce the symptoms, and the reactions that do show up tend to appear at doses far above what a normal meal delivers. Glutamate is also not exotic: it is in tomatoes, parmesan, mushrooms, and human breast milk. So the honest summary is that MSG is legal on both continents and the fear was never well supported.

Citation FDA GRAS status for MSG; 21 CFR 101.22 (labeling); FDA guidance on "No MSG" claims

Products that commonly contain it

MSG is a flavor enhancer that deepens savory, "umami" taste. It shows up, openly labeled, in:

Savory snacks, chips, and flavored crackers
Instant noodles, bouillon cubes, and soup mixes
Canned soups, gravies, and many frozen meals
Seasoning blends and the Ajinomoto-style shaker sold for home cooking

What to look for on a label

MSG and its close glutamate relatives appear under several names:

"Monosodium glutamate" or "E621" in the ingredient list
Related enhancers E620 to E625 (glutamic acid and other glutamate salts)
Free glutamate also rides in on "hydrolyzed protein", "autolyzed yeast extract", and "yeast extract"
A "No added MSG" label does not mean glutamate-free, just that the pure additive was not poured in

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Frequently asked questions

Is MSG banned in Europe?

No. MSG (E621) is authorized as a flavor enhancer under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, with maximum levels per food category and mandatory labeling. EFSA set a group ADI of 30 mg/kg bw/day in 2017 but did not ban it.

Why do people think MSG is dangerous?

The fear traces to a 1968 anecdotal letter coining "Chinese restaurant syndrome". Later controlled, blinded trials mostly failed to reproduce the symptoms at normal dietary doses.

Is MSG legal in the United States?

Yes. The FDA lists MSG as generally recognized as safe (GRAS). It must be declared as "monosodium glutamate" on the label when added.

Is glutamate only in added MSG?

No. Free glutamate occurs naturally in tomatoes, parmesan, mushrooms, and breast milk, and rides in through ingredients like hydrolyzed protein and yeast extract.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed July 6, 2026 · How we assign statuses