<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> Monosodium glutamate (MSG, also known as sodium glutamate) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids . Monosodium glutamate is found naturally in tomatoes, cheese and other foods . </P> <P> MSG is used in the food industry as a flavor enhancer with an umami taste that intensifies the meaty, savory flavor of food, as naturally occurring glutamate does in foods such as stews and meat soups . It was first prepared in 1908 by Japanese biochemist Kikunae Ikeda, who was trying to isolate and duplicate the savory taste of kombu, an edible seaweed used as a base for many Japanese soups . MSG as a flavor enhancer balances, blends, and rounds the perception of other tastes . </P> <P> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given MSG its generally recognized as safe (GRAS) designation . A popular belief is that large doses of MSG can cause headaches and other feelings of discomfort, known as "Chinese restaurant syndrome," but double - blind tests fail to find evidence of such a reaction . The European Union classifies it as a food additive permitted in certain foods and subject to quantitative limits . MSG has the HS code 29224220 and the E number E621 . </P>

What is the common use of monosodium glutamate