Thanks, this is a great explainer. I don't question anything you've written, or the underlying research. However I would still have one question/concern, regarding the production of commercial MSG. As I gather from the internet, MSG is produced basically by a chemical generation process (bacterial fermentation, precipitation, filtration, crystallisation). In such processes there could be any number of impurities that could be generated, and possibly concentrated, in batches of product. Presumably, research on MSG would use reliable chemical suppliers, with stringent testing for purity, which would go way beyond what your run-of-the-mill food producer would do, especially if said producers are based in developing countries with little food safety regulation. So I wouldn't discount all reports of possible ill effects of MSG, as these might be due to any number of introduced impurities in commercial products, which wouldn't show up on MSG research done with a more controlled product.
Thanks, this is a great explainer. I don't question anything you've written, or the underlying research. However I would still have one question/concern, regarding the production of commercial MSG. As I gather from the internet, MSG is produced basically by a chemical generation process (bacterial fermentation, precipitation, filtration, crystallisation). In such processes there could be any number of impurities that could be generated, and possibly concentrated, in batches of product. Presumably, research on MSG would use reliable chemical suppliers, with stringent testing for purity, which would go way beyond what your run-of-the-mill food producer would do, especially if said producers are based in developing countries with little food safety regulation. So I wouldn't discount all reports of possible ill effects of MSG, as these might be due to any number of introduced impurities in commercial products, which wouldn't show up on MSG research done with a more controlled product.