Why do people think that MSG is only in Chinese food when it's clearly an ingrediant in most processed foods?

Question

Go to your supermarket and look at the labels for your favorite microwave dinners, canned soups, etc. etc. Monosodium Glutamate is in just about everything, contrary to mis-guided beliefs that it's only in Chinese food. Sometimes it's called something else, but it's still there. If MSG was so dangerous, shouldn't people be getting sick left and right, since it's obviously in most things that we eat! (unless you eat only organic food)

Answer 1

Because soo many people people go to the Chinese restaurants and buffets. It is easier for the media to attack Chinese food than all the AMERICAN chains of frozen foods. i was actually doing some research on this and they only put MSG in spring/egg rolls
and won-tong soup. Not all the food has MSG in it.
It is a typical American thing to do, accuse others before looking into their issues.!!! gets me upset caus like you said, our frozen food has tons of it and you don't hear anything about THAT!!!
I'm glad you brought that point out!!! That's a good question, one star from me to you
cheers!!!
db

Answer 2

It's almost entirely psychosomatic. Because the symptoms ( headaches etc ) are called 'Chinese restaurant syndrome' lots of people mentally associate it with chinese food, even placebo tests have shown this prejudice to be true. People rarely associate it with processed western food or even Japanese food where it turns up commonly too.

This is a pretty good article about it if you are interested.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,,1522368,00.html

Answer 3

People are stupid and unfortunately here in America we have made it okay for people to be stupid by allowing them to sue for every little thing, like not being smart enough to know that a parking lot is going to be iced over in the middle of winter, or that a cup of hot coffee will burn you if you spill it on yourself.

Answer 4

isnt it because in Chinese its actually added to the food as a powder in cooking, whereas in processed food its already there so no one really notices it going in.
No one reads ingredients.

Answer 5

Go eat a spoonful of MSG and tell us how you feel. That will answer your question.