Bob's Red Mill Products And Msg

[HawkFire]

The woman emailing me about Bob's products and MSG said only that all of Bob's products are NATURAL. I had asked specifically if there was MSG in ANY product. That was not the answer I received. I've emailed back asking her to not use the word natural, but to answer my question. Does Bob's Red Mill use MSG? I can only hope this isn't a word game for them. I'm looking to replace all of my Kinnkinnick products after the horrible discovery I made about PEA PROTEIN being nothing more than MSG.

[HawkFire]

For goodness sake. I received a second email from Bob's with the same woman telling me that Bob's Red Mill products are free of additives and preservatives. This after I asked her to tell me specifically if there was any ..ANY Msg in the products. She simply wouldn't commit to answering that question. So, I emailed her again and asked her to please- please- please tell me the answer to my question. I feel like she's avoiding doing that. I mean, I wanted to hear from someone from the company about MSG. They won't answer me that. Does anyone here know?

[burdee]

I'm curious about why you suspect Bob's Red Mill BAKING products like flours and meals or their cereals would contain MSG. I thought that was a seasoning. Have you even seen MSG listed in the ingredients for gluten free flours or cereals? Maybe you should consider calling the BRM Customer Service number on their website. I've called them about certain products and myths about their company. They are always very helpful on the phone. I've also emailed them about providing products for my celiac support group. They are very prompt to answer my emails.

BURDEE

[azmom]

Check out this link

Open Original Shared Link

It says to not ask about MSG, but instead to ask about "free glutamic acid" (see page 2 on link). It also mentions how you can report companies to the FDA if their labeling is incorrect.

[RiceGuy]

I'd have to guess the reason they don't answer the question directly is because there may be some natural occurring free glutamic acid within the product. If they say there isn't and you did a chemical analysis to prove there was, it could easily get them into legal trouble. So I wouldn't expect them to give an absolute answer. Additives are (at least should be) listed, even if they twist the names around to sound innocent. But like has already been noted, why would you suspect MSG to be added to flours and such? Unless you are referring to some other products they have? They do have seasoned mixes though, and some cookies and other things. For those I wouldn't be surprised if some form of MSG is present.

[debmidge]

...wouldn't also the sodium content be very high if MSG was in the product? Sodium would be higher than the naturally occuring sodium level?

[RiceGuy]

...wouldn't also the sodium content be very high if MSG was in the product? Sodium would be higher than the naturally occuring sodium level?

Not that I'm aware of, though a salty food might taste saltier with MSG in it. As I understand it, MSG tends to amplify the tastes/flavors which it accompanies.

[ravenwoodglass]

" I'm looking to replace all of my Kinnkinnick products after the horrible discovery I made about PEA PROTEIN being nothing more than MSG. "

First off where did you get this info? Do you have a link to it and was it info that you found in more than one source? I eat Kinnikinnick products all the time and would be interested in seeing more about this.

[HawkFire]

" I'm looking to replace all of my Kinnkinnick products after the horrible discovery I made about PEA PROTEIN being nothing more than MSG. "

First off where did you get this info? Do you have a link to it and was it info that you found in more than one source? I eat Kinnikinnick products all the time and would be interested in seeing more about this.

Open Original Shared Link

I used to recommend the site truthinlabeling.com for info on MSG, but Rachel24 posted this site, and it is much easier to read and follow along. Clearly mentioned is PEA PROTEIN. Kinnikinnick products are full of PEA PROTEIN...MSG. On the truthinlabeling site, pea protein is also mentioned as a new word food manufacterers are using to hide their MSG.

Now, I found it in everything in my home that is Kinnikinnick except the Pizza crusts and the Sunflower Flax bread. The PEA PROTEIN was in all the other products from donuts to crispy chicken coating which we used to make fish sticks, etc. It was in the Chocolate cake mix that we bought for my child's upcoming birthday, it was in the english muffins, the breads- all except my Sunflower Flax bread. So, I'm horribly disappointed in Kinnkinnick. More than that, I'm furious that I've been paying to be poisoned. The morning I found out, I'd fed my family and our visiting family members a wonderful batch of Kinnkinnick pancakes for breakfast... yes, there's PEA PROTEIN in that mix as well. That's why I'm so fearful of there being some kind of deliberately hidden MSG in the BOb's Red Mill products. I bought the gluten free dairy free pancake mix... it looked msg free. In fact, all of Bob's looks MSG free, but now, I'm so unsure of myself that I simply require confirmation before I'll take another chance. I am not paying to be poisoned again.

I got an email back from them today saying in no uncertain terms... BOB'S products are free of MSG. YEAAAA> I'm cooking pancakes right now.

[HawkFire]

Check out this link

Open Original Shared Link

It says to not ask about MSG, but instead to ask about "free glutamic acid" (see page 2 on link). It also mentions how you can report companies to the FDA if their labeling is incorrect.

Wow. Great link. It's in my favorites. Thanks. I see now that I need to re-ask the MSG question of Bob's. Wish me luck.

[debmidge]

I want to bring up the sodium content of MSG again because if I am not mistaken, MSG is abbreviation for Mono-SODIUM glutamate...and I believe that this ingredient is a salt..if you look at the label of the product and know that for example that corn has 0% sodium in its natural state, that if there's the least bit of MSG the percentage of sodium would be over that 0%......

[GFJan]

Free glutamate is NOT the same as MSG. The particular form of glutamate that is MSG is processed differently in the brain because of the sodium ion channels. If you're concerned you can always take the amino acid taurine and make sure you get plenty of B6 when you consume products with pea protein.

Free glutamates occur naturally in many foods and is even found in measurable levels in breast milk. Because I have a genetic sodium ion channel disorder I am exquisitely sensitive to MSG, but I tolerate many foods high in free glutamates like parmesan cheese, whey or ripe tomatoes with no problem. Whey protein is a treatment for children with ADD/autism and would certainly not have the positive effects we're seeing if the glutamates were overstimulating the nerves in the brain.

Cooking and processing tend to break the glutamate naturally in foods away from the protein molecule that stabilizes it. The great taste of the drippings from roasted meat is due to the free glutamates.

I really wouldn't worry too much about the pea protein unless you specifically notice an MSG-type response when you eat it. If so you may have a lower threshhold for glutamic acid in foods, possibly a genetic base. But glutamic acid is essential for learning and memory...it's when we get too much, whether from certain foods or from our own body creating it that we get into trouble. I have looked at the amino acid profile for good quality pea protein and it is balanced and not what I would consider high in glutamates. I wouldn't go postal on Kinnikinnik just because they're using it as an ingredient.

Jan

[blueeyedmanda]

Jan-

That's very good info. Thanks.

[Rachel--24]

I wouldn't go postal on Kinnikinnik just because they're using it as an ingredient.

I think the problem of MSG in processed foods is bigger than just "pea protein" in Kinnikinnik products.

If we are consuming large amounts of free glutamates in our daily diets....and we are if we are eating a typical American diet....then this can easily surpass what is tolerable for many people due to genetics and other factors.

If it were just "pea protein" in some Kinnikinnik donuts...then fine...I see your point. However...many products contain several ingredients which have been processed to free up glutamates and to make that product more desireable to the consumer.

In this country today....if you are eating a "normal" diet...then nearly every bite of what you are eating is containing free glutamates. The more something is processed...the more glutamates become "freed". Eating a ripe tomato would not be the same as eating an ingredient which has been processed to free up all glutamates to enhance flavor. Its just not the same.

But glutamic acid is essential for learning and memory...it's when we get too much, whether from certain foods or from our own body creating it that we get into trouble.

As you stated....its when we get too much that we can then get ourselves into trouble.

Everyone has a different level of tolerance when it comes to something like this. How do we know how much our body is going to tolerate?? We dont...not until its too late....and we "get into trouble".

Is it better to gamble with the pea protein in Kinnikinnik's products....since its only "one" ingredient...and after all we eat hundreds of other ingredients every day containing more and more free glutamate....or is better to say "Wait a minute.....why is it necessary to have this ingredient in our food in the first place??"

The less we are "aware" as consumers....the more at risk we become. Remember.....the FDA does not regulate how much free glutamate ends up in one product. You can be eating something with 4 or 5 different ingredients...all appearing to be very innocent on the label....but yet their sole purpose in the product is to add flavoring with free glutamates.

How do we know when to stop because we've reached our limit for the day...and the next bite will end up overstimulating nerves in the brain?? Is it when we begin to develop symptoms of Alzheimers??

Now people are starting to develop this disease in their 30's....why is that??

[tarnalberry]

Don't just assume that they're blowing you off - you're in somewhat controversial territory with the subject matter, and their customer support is designed to help the general public. If they can't help you, it may well be best to avoid their products, but it may be somewhere between ignorance and disagreement, rather than conspiracy. (yes, yes, I'm exaggerating. )

[Lisa]

Don't just assume that they're blowing you off - you're in somewhat controversial territory with the subject matter, and their customer support is designed to help the general public. If they can't help you, it may well be best to avoid their products, but it may be somewhere between ignorance and disagreement, rather than conspiracy. (yes, yes, I'm exaggerating. )

Totally in agreement.

[HawkFire]

I'm only using single ingredient products to construct my own bread from now on. I think it's appalling that the food industry is so greedy as to mass poison/experiment on human beings. I just watched that guy from Frasier doing a segment on the TODAY show about alzheimers and how his father and grandfather had it and how so many many many more people are coming down with it nowadays. Why? He talked about possibilities... genetics? How about we kill off neurons in our brains until we trigger our propensity for neurological dysfunction? Why is it that people see chemically created pills as medicine, but fail to view food = laden with chemicals = as having the same power?

[GFAngel]

Hello all. I don't post very often, but I'm always reading. Today I was trying to find info regarding Spirulina and somehow I got linked to this MSG (which also interests me) thread. I know it has been a while since the last post, but for someone else, I hope this might add to the conversation:

"Your Health" is a show produced by the good doctor, Dr. Becker from TX. www.bioinnovations.net He has special guests about natural ways to support our bodies. He's a lymphoma cancer survivor. He loves Noni juice, oregano oil and supplements to add to our whole food diets (which includes whole grains ), but anyway, from my celiac diagnosis was born a love of reading about celiac, which has turned into learning about absorbing nutrients/nutrition and his show is worthy of my time. I'm a fatty celiac - need to lose a lot of weight - and find that any flours are not my friends at this time. I'm having a hard time giving up my dairy (cheese & Yoplait cherry addiction). You know what they say: if you love it, you're probably allergic to it. Here's the exerpt I typed from the show for my blog: Actually, it's very long. I'm just going to give you my blog address to read it, if that's okay. The blog date entry is: Monday, July 23, 2007. Please let me know if you find any discrepancies and I will certainly rectify the error.

Open Original Shared Link

or check out Open Original Shared Link - he has a book about nutrition and wellness.

Hawkfire: I had dementia with celiac - and I swear it's got to be related to Alzheimer's disease. What's the difference? My FIL I'm sure had undiagnosed celiac when he died 2 yrs ago from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He had my same celiac symptoms: hypothyroid, pernicious anemia (I'm just B12 deficient as of right now), depression, eczema. He lost a lot of weight and they couldn't find out what was wrong with him (sound familiar?) before finally finding the cancer. He was 72 and a recovered alcoholic (I'm not alcoholic, I don't touch the stuff, but that's because my FATHER was alcoholic -- see the connection?). Anyway, his mother died with Alzheimer's (I can't recall exact COD). Her mother died from "anemia."

Support your gut/support your immune system: Open Original Shared Link