Chinese takeaways are warned after illegal levels of additive found in food
A FOOD additive was found at illegally high levels in four out of 15 Chinese takeaways investigated by Derbyshire trading standards officers.
The county council has revealed details of an operation carried out to find out if takeaways were using too much monosodium glutamate.
A council spokeswoman said the additive was used to enhance flavour but maximum safe levels of 10g per kilogram of food are enforced by law.
She said: "The additive isn't dangerous – it is generally considered to be a safe additive for the population as a whole. It has been associated with side effects such as asthma, migraines etc but these have not been scientifically proven."
Trading standards officers made test purchases at 15 takeaways last year, buying a variety of different meals.
Of these, four were found to have levels of the additive above 10g per kilo, three between 10g and 15g, and one with more than 20g.
The spokeswoman said she could not reveal which stores had breached the rules but that the tests were carried out in Amber Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Chesterfield, High Peak and Erewash.
A report into the operation written for councillor Carol Hart, cabinet member for communities, said "advice was provided to three businesses with levels of monosodium glutamate between 10g and 15g" and a follow-up test was carried out at the takeaway which served food with more than 20g of MSG.
The report also stated: "All Chinese restaurants and takeaways had been advised by letter of the legal limit and the potential harmful effects of excess quantities of monosodium glutamate."
The operation was carried out in April, May and June last year.
2 Comments
by Susan Scott, London
Wednesday, January 26 2011, 5:30PM
“Just like our bodies, the tests carried out on the Chinese takeaways for Derbyshire's TSOs will not have been able to tell the difference between the glutamate naturally present in the food and glutamate added as seasoning (MSG).
It is quite likely that the levels of glutamate found in some of the dishes tested were due in part to the ingredients used. For example scallops contain about 1.4g/kg of free glutamate, tomatoes about 2.5g/kg and even onions 0.5g/kg. Parmesan cheese contains a whopping 12g/kg. Other seasonings, widely used in Chinese cooking, such as soy sauce are also high in free glutamate.
Glutamate is an amino acid which is very abundant in many of the foods which we eat everyday like meat, ripe cheese, cured ham and vegetables. Glutamate, in foods and in seasoning, stimulates our tongues to signal umami taste - our fifth taste with sweet, sour, salt and bitter.
Using too much MSG to season food will not do you any harm - but as with any other seasoning the food probably won't taste very nice!”
by dave, Oakwood
Wednesday, January 12 2011, 8:14PM
“Buy from M&S much nicer & cheaper too.”