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Finished products have a dubious reputation. Modern packaging promises absolute freshness, a clinically clean production atmosphere and great best-before dates. Even currywurst, baked schnitzel and nasi goreng have long been available frozen or from the chiller cabinet.
And somehow the convenience food even tastes good – but according to food expert Hans-Ulrich Grimm, it is one thing above all: very dangerous. The main culprit in food is glutamate.
The artificial flavor enhancer is mainly found in ready-made products and tricks the palate into believing a flavor that does not exist. However, the substance can cause sweating, palpitations and rashes. Experts even suspect that glutamate promotes diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. For Grimm, there is no doubt about the harmful effects of glutamate: “Glutamate is considered a neurotoxin that can cause serious damage to the brain.
The Chinese restaurant syndrome
The lack of time many people have in their everyday lives is particularly disastrous. There is hardly any cooking during the week. One in 10 Germans therefore reaches for ready meals more than three times a week. If the glutamate concentration is also right, allergic reactions can develop.
The Gultamat hunters’ main focus is on Asian delicacies from the cardboard box. Those who suffer from the so-called “Chinese restaurant syndrome” experience bouts of weakness, sweating and headaches just a few minutes after eating Far Eastern rice and noodle dishes.
Invention from Japan
Glutamate is an invention from Japan – and a stroke of luck for the food industry. It promises maximum taste for minimum production costs – meaning that there are practically no real spices in the ready meals. In 1908, the Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda succeeded in isolating glutamate from algae for the first time. He discovered a completely new flavour that was to revolutionize food production. In addition to the four classic flavors, sweet, salty, sour and bitter, there is now “umami”, which means “delicious”, “savory” – in other words, the special glutamate taste.
Japanese scientist Ikeda’s aroma creation was produced on a large scale just one year later in 1909. Glutamate has now conquered the world. Up to 1.7 million tons of the flavor enhancer end up in our food every year.
Obesity and dementia
However, glutamate is also produced naturally in the human body. It fulfills an important task in the organism. As an amino acid, glutamate takes on the important function of a messenger substance. Glutamate is produced in the cells and, as a so-called neurotransmitter, transmits important signals between the brain and nerve cells.
Its field of application has a lot in common with its artificial counterpart: it regulates appetite and thus weight. If the artificial glutamate is also ingested via ready-made pizzas, snacks or soups, chaos ensues. But even worse: it has a destructive effect. Artificial glutamate is strongly suspected of stimulating the appetite, triggering the dreaded hunger pangs and causing brain damage.
Brain cells give the command to self-destruct
Research recently produced an alarming study. Scientists at the University of St. Louis in the USA inject mice and rats with rats glutamate. The rodents not only developed an addiction to food, but also showed changes in their brains. High concentrations of glutamate also mean more than just extra pounds for humans.
Scientists like Grimm have long since recognized the substance as a neurotoxin that can even cause brain cells to die. Artificial glutamate sabotages the information pathways in the body. It fires up the brain cells to the point of exhaustion. Subsequently, an overdose of calcium disables the cell. This is followed by the command to self-destruct.
Deceptive maneuvers of the food industry
Even though the flavor enhancer is banned in baby food, there are scientists who doubt its harmful effects. Even the German Nutrition Society is downplaying the issue, says expert Grimm, lamenting the irresponsible behavior of consumer advocates. After all, there is a labeling requirement on packaging. Nevertheless: “Consumers are on their own,” says Grimm and looks with concern at the sometimes confusing information policy of food manufacturers.
In addition to the six official names for glutamate, which are still relatively easy to recognize, the dangerous substance is also hidden behind so-called E-numbers. In bureaucratic EU jargon, they label approved food additives.
It gets really confusing when, according to Grimm, stealth designations are added to the mix. In this case, it is no longer possible for the consumer to distinguish between supposedly harmless ingredients such as yeast extract and glutamate. Grimm therefore advises caution. According to the law, seasoning, yeast and aroma are not flavor enhancers and therefore do not have to be declared. However, they could actually contain up to 30 percent glutamate.
Freshness protects against glutamate overdose
But not all foods contain harmful glutamate. In meat tomatoes or Parmesan cheese, the appetite stimulant occurs naturally. The body recognizes this and prevents an overdose from occurring in the first place. Before we gorge ourselves on Parmesan cheese, a natural feeling of disgust sets in that limits our food intake and thus our glutamate intake. So if you cook with fresh food more often, you run less risk of coming into contact with the harmful variant of glutamate.
