Open Food Labels. Search 352 ingredients⌘K

Study · Nutrients · 2023Conflicts declared

MSG intake and risk assessment across China and worldwide

Yu H, Wang R, Zhao Y, et al · Free full text

What it found

In a nationwide Chinese diet study, the average daily MSG intake was 1.11 g, below the 1.89 g threshold the authors used.

A separate household survey that ignored cooking losses gave a higher average of 2.28 g.

What they found

Studies in people

Daily intake in China

The average daily MSG intake for the general Chinese population was 17.63 mg/kg body weight per day, or 1.11 g per day for a standard 63 kg man. Intakes varied widely by province, from 4.27 to 32.35 mg/kg body weight per day.

Risk assessment

Using the measured intake, only Shanghai exceeded the 1.89 g per day threshold based on the acceptable daily intake of 30 mg/kg body weight per day. The authors say daily exposure in the general Chinese population is not a health risk.

Survey overestimation

A household survey that did not account for cooking losses gave an average intake of 2.28 g per day, and 14 of 24 provinces exceeded the threshold. The authors say this method overestimates intake because MSG is lost during cooking and in non-edible parts of dishes.

Other findings

MSG levels in foods

MSG content ranged from not detected to 8.63 g/kg across the food samples. The highest level was found in aquatic foods, followed by meats and legumes.

Main food sources

Vegetables contributed 44% of MSG intake nationally, followed by cereals at 21% and meats at 14%. In some northern provinces, cereals were the leading source.

Global comparison

Chinese MSG intake was in the middle of the range worldwide when measured accurately, but second only to Thailand's 4.0 g per day when based on apparent consumption. The authors note that catering and commercial foods may be a concern as their consumption increases in China.

What the authors conclude

“It could be said that daily exposure to MSG in the general population in China is not a health risk.”
Yu H, Wang R, Zhao Y, et al, 2023

Also in their conclusions

  • They believe that the strategy of obtaining the maximum intake with MSG apparent consumption through a 3-day, 24-hour room survey causes overestimation.
  • They say this provides a more reliable technical solution for future risk assessment of relevant condiments.
  • They state that their analysis will serve as a local guideline and offer information on how to restructure diets healthily.

How it was done

The authors wanted to assess MSG intake in China, the world's largest producer and consumer, because previous surveys overestimated intake by not accounting for MSG losses during cooking. They also aimed to compare intake and risk assessment approaches worldwide.

They measured MSG in 168 ready-to-eat food samples from seven food categories across 24 provinces in China, collected from 2016 to 2021. They combined these measurements with food consumption data to estimate daily intake, and compared this with a 3-day, 24-hour household survey of over 10,000 households covering 70% of China's land area and 85% of its population.

What it can’t tell you

  • The study measured MSG intake and compared it to a threshold, but it did not follow people over time to see if health effects occurred.
  • The risk assessment was based on the general population, so it cannot show risks for specific groups such as different ages or genders.

The paper

Title
Monosodium Glutamate Intake and Risk Assessment in China Nationwide, and a Comparative Analysis Worldwide
Type
Study
Evidence
Studies in people
Summarised from
Full text
Cite
Yu H, Wang R, Zhao Y, et al (2023). Monosodium Glutamate Intake and Risk Assessment in China Nationwide, and a Comparative Analysis Worldwide. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu15112444Free full textPubMed 37299405DOI

Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error