P2MI and Indonesian Culinary Experts Support Healthy Cooking Education with Glutamate

The Indonesian Monosodium Glutamate and Glutamic Acid Factory Association (P2MI) supports an activity entitled "Healthy Cooking with Glutamate", Wednesday (27/9/2023). The activity was organized by the Nusantara Fermentation Cooperative (Fermenusa) in collaboration with Kimiasutra. This activity was enthusiastically welcomed by visitors. The event was also attended by Indonesian culinary figures, including chefs and influencers in the culinary field. The event was held with the aim of providing a correct understanding regarding the use of monosodium glutamate (MSG), which currently still has pros and cons.

The message to be conveyed is that the correct and rational use of MSG can make food healthier as well as more delicious. Culinary chemists from the Kimisutra forum, Irvan Kartawiria and Harry Nazarudin, provided technical knowledge regarding the chemistry of glutamate. Education is fun because it is packaged in the form of a healthy cooking demonstration guided by a chef who also has an educational background as a pharmacist, Agustiah or known as Chef Tia. "The public needs to understand more about the function of glutamate in cooking so as not to be biased in information and trapped in perceptions that are not necessarily true," explained Irvan in a release received by Kompas.com, Friday (6/10/2023).

Tia explained that the use of glutamate can shift from a complement to a necessity in certain conditions. "When the quality of food is good, the natural glutamate content is quite high. In these conditions, the use of additional glutamate may not make much difference to the taste of the food. "However, when the quality of the food decreases, the addition of glutamate is needed to improve the taste of the food," said Chef Tia.

He added that from a health perspective, using MSG in reasonable amounts by understanding the function and benefits of glutamate in food, its use can help reduce sugar and salt in cooking. "Its use actually has the potential to maintain health in the long term," he continued. Several chefs were present including Sisca Soewitomo, William Wongso, and Bara Pattiradjawane. They also shared their impressions about MSG. "(Today's event) increases knowledge. So, we don't misinterpret MSG, then its use in cooking becomes appropriate," said Sisca Soewitomo.

Agreeing with Sisca, William Wongso and Bara also agreed. Bambang Britono, Chairman of Fermenusa, also said that "(Through this event), we are increasingly convinced that MSG products are healthy and not dangerous," said Chairman of Fermenusa Bambang Britono.

MSG comes from natural ingredients

For your information, P2MI was founded on September 15 1971. This organization was formed in the interest of advancing the world of the food business, especially the food additive MSG and its derivatives in Indonesia. The unhealthy perception of glutamate is also what prompted P2MI and Indonesian culinary experts to provide education on healthy cooking with glutamate. "MSG has been categorized as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) in the United States. This means that MSG is generally recognized as safe if consumed in moderation," said P2MI Chairman Satria Gentur Pinandita.

He explained that MSG had also received approval from the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) so that its use was appropriate. "Apart from that, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia (Depkes RI) has also stated that the use of MSG is sufficient," he continued.

Basically, natural glutamate can be found in many food ingredients, such as soy sauce, shrimp paste, seaweed, sugar cane, jengkol, and certain vegetables, such as tomatoes and mushrooms. In fact, the same substance is also found in the human body, such as breast milk. Information bias occurs because people only know glutamate as an ingredient that is only found in the flavoring agent in MSG.

Basically, MSG is a fermentation product. The fermentation process is carried out from sugar cane molasses using microorganisms, then continued with the isolation and purification process. The result is MSG with a purity of more than 99 percent. Currently, almost all MSG products in Indonesia are processed by fermentation from natural sugar cane molasses. After fermentation, MSG can provide a savory taste, especially in soupy dishes. Not only that, MSG can also reduce the unpleasant taste of food. For some people, the use of MSG is done to reduce the use of table salt in cooking so that it is healthier.

Based on Minister of Health Regulation Number 33 of 2012, MSG has been designated as the safest flavor enhancing food and is permitted for consumption as long as it is used in sufficient quantities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the daily intake of MSG that can be accepted by the human body is 0-12 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.

This article was published on Kompas.com with the title"P2MI dan Pakar Kuliner Indonesia Dukung Edukasi Masak Sehat dengan Glutamat", Click to read: https://www.kompas.com/food/read/2023/10/06/125351775/p2mi-dan-pakar-kuliner-indonesia-dukung-edukasi-masak-sehat-dengan-glutamat?page=all#page2.