5 facts you need to know about seasoning powder

Many housewives consider seasoning powder as an indispensable spice for dishes. However, you need to note the following when using it.

1. Not harmful to health

According to Professor Pham Van Khoi (Vietnam Institute of Chemistry), seasoning powder contains many ingredients. In which, the indispensable ingredients are monosodium glutamate (flavor enhancer 621) and two flavor enhancers 627 and 631.

Seasoning powder helps to sweeten dishes and is less toxic if used in moderation. Illustration.

According to scientific documents, flavor enhancers 627 and 631 are 10-15 times sweeter than regular MSG. For a while, consumers feared that this substance could cause birth defects and metabolic disorders. In addition, MSG can cause "Chinese restaurant syndrome" with symptoms of weak limbs, dizziness, and nausea.

However, currently all three flavor enhancers 621, 627, 631 are on the list of additives allowed for use in food. According to Professor Khoi, MSG or seasoning powder both help create a pleasant sweet taste and are less toxic if used in moderation.

Sharing the same opinion, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam (Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition) said that the harmful effects of MSG and seasoning powder were only hypotheses when scientists started their research.

Currently, these substances are still licensed for use by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This proves that they are completely safe for human consumption.

2. Not very nutritious

Professor Khoi emphasized: "Seasoning powder and MSG only create artificial sweetness for dishes, not 100% from meat or bones as advertised. They also do not contain much nutrition."

He analyzed that the meat powder in seasoning powder is often ground by the manufacturer from dried meat, not extracted from bone broth and tenderloin as advertised.

If using pure meat or fish, when concentrated it will easily spoil and absolutely cannot be left for long, especially in outdoor temperature conditions.

3. Not better than MSG

Many people discriminate against MSG and use seasoning powder because they think this spice is healthier.

However, according to Professor Khoi, in addition to some ingredients such as sugar and salt, seasoning powder also contains MSG and super sweeteners (flavor enhancers 627 and 631). These substances have basically the same taste, belong to the MSG group, and help increase effectiveness when used.

Therefore, people who are allergic to MSG and must abstain from MSG should also be careful when using seasoning powder. Especially pregnant women (first 3 months) and newborns should pay attention to this.

4. Don't eat too much

Due to its convenience, many families use seasoning powder regularly, without supplementing nutrition from fresh foods daily for meals, leading to malnutrition, especially for young children.

"Although seasoning powder has been tested to be harmless, we should use it within certain limits. Abusing this spice can cause unpredictable side effects," said Professor Khoi.

Accordingly, to ensure nutrition for family members, housewives should pay attention to supplementing a diverse, adequate, and balanced amount of food. It is best to limit the use of MSG and seasoning powder and replace them with foods with natural sweetness.

Absolutely do not use seasoning for babies.

5. Cannot replace iodized salt

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a person should not eat more than 6 grams of salt per day, including seasoning powder, seasoning powder in food, vegetables, fruits, pickles, etc.

Therefore, you should note that when using seasoning powder, you should reduce the amount of salt and broth powder to make your family's meals more balanced. Seasoning powder does not contain iodized salt. Using a lot of this spice will lead to a deficiency of iodine needed by the body. Therefore, if you want to use seasoning powder, you should combine the appropriate dose with iodized salt.

According to Zing.vn