MSG is savoury seasoning made the way vinegar is: fermentation. Its reputation has taken more hits than it deserves, and none of them is that it is an animal product.
Made byBacterial fermentation of plant sugars
E numberE621
VerdictVegan
Where it hides
Savoury snacks and seasoning
Instant noodles and soups
Chinese and other takeaways
Stock and bouillon
What it is
MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, the amino acid behind savoury, umami taste. How it is made today settles the vegan question:
Primary source 01 / 01
As of 2016, most MSG worldwide is produced by bacterial fermentation in a process similar to making vinegar or yogurt.
The bacteria are fed on plant carbohydrates like sugar beet, cane, tapioca or molasses, so the finished MSG is vegan. The related flavour enhancers it often travels with, disodium inosinate (E631) and guanylate (E627), are the ones with an animal question, not MSG itself.
Disodium inosinate (E631)Disodium inosinate, E631, is a savoury flavour booster with a murky supply chain. It can come from fish, from meat, or from fermentation, and the label rarely says which.
Disodium guanylate (E627)Disodium guanylate, E627, is made by fermentation, which sounds vegan-friendly. The wrinkle is that it almost never travels alone, and its usual partner is the one to watch.
Natural flavours / natural flavorsMost 'natural flavours' really are plants and microbes. But the legal box is big enough to hold meat, dairy, eggs and even a secretion from a beaver, and the label almost never says which.
Frequently asked
Is E621 vegan?
Yes. E621 is monosodium glutamate, made by bacterial fermentation of plant sugars, so it is vegan.
Is MSG bad for you?
That is a separate debate from the vegan question. On sourcing, MSG is a fermentation product and vegan. Its safety at normal dietary levels is broadly accepted by food-safety authorities.
The same clear-eyed sourcing behind these verdicts, applied to each day’s news: what actually moved veganism forward, quoted and checked before you read it. One short brief, free.
