<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

After a year of lurking on this list, asking a few questions and receiving
much helpful information things are beginning to come together and I am
beginning to understand better why I have reactions to seemingly innoccuous
foods. I had learned years ago - long before I had heard of celiac - that
almost any food which came in a package would probably cause from minor to
major discomfort.

This morning I saw an article in the San Francisco Chronicle (4/2/97) which
states that a new labeling rule proposed by the Food and Drug administration
would require food producers to disclose the presence of free glutamate in
their products, this being the active ingredient in MSG.  The article is
written by Russ Parsons, credited to the Los Angeles Times.

There is a mention of a current requirement of labeling MSG but not free
glutamate.  The free glutamate seems to be present in most of the products
which bother participants on this list. To read this article shows why a
supermarket can be like a minefield!

Free glutamate is present, according to the article, in hydrolized protein,
gelatin, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, yeast
extract, textured protein, yeast food and autolyzed yeast.  It can be present
in soy sauce, pectin, etc. including malt extract or flavoring, barley malt
bouillion, stock, broth, carrageen, maltodextrin, whey protein, natural
flavors and flavoring, soy protein, anything ultrapasteurized anything protein
fortified, anything enzyme modified and anything fermented.  Whew!  But, on
the other hand I have heard questions about these products nearly every day.

I will not copy the whole article in this message, as I am writing for further
information myself.  But if anyone would like I will respond to questions.

I would like some scientific information about the relationship between
glutamic acid, MSG and free glutamate to gluten.  My dictionary says that
these (glutamic) products come from wheat and/or sugar beets.

And how can we respond to the FDA in affirming our desire for comprehensive
labeling?

Does anyone know if the information in this article has been published in a
scientific journal or other document?  There is mention at the end of the
article of a two day panel by the Federation of American Societies for
Experimental Biology (FASEB) in 1993 which reported in 1995 that MSG is
normally safe but some people are sensitive to it.

Thank you, Christina Oldenburg