Caught in the act, big producer finally admits MSG in snack

Caught in the act, big producer finally admits MSG in snack

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The producer of popular snacks Smax and Double Decker admitted on
Friday that it had started putting monosodium glutamate (MSG) in
its products recently and that it had not stated the MSG content
on the packs for technical reasons.

Oetje Palar, personal assistant to the general manager of PT
Pacific Food Indonesia, which produces Smax and Double Decker,
said that products whose packs did not mention MSG indicator were
old stock and would soon be replaced with new ones.

"We will soon be distributing the new packs with the new
labels after the old stock that is now on the market has been
sold," Oetje said without saying when the new packs would appear
on the shelves.

Oetje, however, was unsure whether the new labels would state
the actual amount of MSC in the snacks, saying he would have to
query this with the parent company in Malaysia first.

Smax and Double Decker are two of 13 brands of snacks found to
contain MSG by the Public Interest Research and Advocacy Center
(PIRAC).

The other brands were Taro Snack, Golden Corn, Jetz, Twistko,
Gemez, Happytos Tortilla Chips, Chiki, Chitato, Cheetos, Anak
Mas, and Twistee Corn. The producers of these snacks were not
available for comment on Friday.

MSG is used as a flavor enhancer in a variety of foods, and is
sold as a fine white crystal substance. Chemically, MSG is the
sodium salt of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid.

Seven snacks were found not to identify their MSG content on
the packs at all, four items referred to "seasoning" or "food
enhancer" but did not say that this was actually MSG, while two
others referred to MSG on their packs but do state the amount.

Article 8 of the consumer protection law clearly states that a
producer should not conceal the ingredients used in the foods
they produce.

Meanwhile, article 3 and 19 of the decree on food labeling and
advertising requires that the ingredients of a food product be
stated on the label.

Some studies show that people can react adversely to MSG and
develop an MSG complex, as well suffering allergic reactions,
nausea, headaches, migraines, asthma, and heart and neurological
problems.

The neurological problems can be particularly dangerous for
growing children as their brain and memory capacities could be
affected.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets a maximum
daily intake of MSG of five milligrams per day. However, on
average Americans still consume about 11 milligrams of MSG per
day.

There are no particular suggestions as to the maximum MSG
daily intake, or regulations on the maximum amount of MSG allowed
in foodstuffs in Indonesia.

PIRAC is now urging the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency
(BPOM), to set a maximum limit of monosodium glutamate (MSG)
substance in snacks as the ingredient might threat health,
particularly children.