Do professional Chefs cook with MSG (monosodium glutamate) when they prepare gourmet food?

Question

I know that some restaurants add MSG to supposedly enhance the flavor of the food. Has this become a standard practice in most places, or do fine dining establishments still just rely on regular salt, herbs, and spices? I have been reading about the health concerns over MSG.

Please don't hang me by the toes!! I did not mean to insult anyone; only to learn something!

In the following article, if you scroll down, there is a list of Hidden Sources of MSG in foods. Some of the items are Bouillon and Hydrolized Plant Protein. I'm not a culinary expert. I just wondered if some of these ingredients might be used?

http://www.rense.com/general52/msg.htm

Answer 1

The chefs I know would hang you by your toes if you dared ask them such a question! They won't even use butter that has salt in it, let alone something as unnatural as MSG!

It is usually low-end fast-food type restaurants that are accused of adding things to food. Think McDonalds, some chinese places, etc.

Answer 2

Many Chinese foods still contain MSG, Ranch Dressing and Ranch Dressing mix, Meat tenderizers and some seasoning blends; including commercial blends used at reataurants. Those blends people are not aware of the MSG including food service operators, People just dont read labels.

Answer 3

I don't, and never would, but in the asian supermarkets in my area I have seen MSG for sale in kg bags next to the salt, which worries me. A quality restaurant would not use MSG, we have enough fantastic produce to work with.

Answer 4

No.
I've worked in commercial kitchens for 12 years and never used MSG.

Answer 5

i have never used MSG in any kitchen or bakeshop I have worked in. MSG is mainly used in Asian cuisine.