Dr. Kwok postulated MSG, sodium or cooking wine as the culprit (Colgate 2020). Unfortunately, Dr. Kwok (1933-2014) and Dr. Steel (1921-2018) have both passed, but Steel’s daughter Anna commented on the hoax, saying that her father “liked to prank people” (This American Life 2019). Listen to the Podcast on Steel’s prank: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/668/the-long-fuseDespite past controversy, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers MSG a “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) food additive (FDA 2012). The MSG System Complex (MSC) first publicized by Dr. Kwok affects only 1 percent of the general population (Healthline 2023). For this reason, MSG is added to low sodium soups, meats and prepackaged foods as a salt substitute.

Source: New York Times May 15, 2024 10:34 UTC