What is ajinomotto made up of?!
What is ajinomotto made up of?
some say its vegetarian, while others say its non vegetarian,
as its made up of bones.and thus should not be consumed. whats the fact? i need some genuine proofs before believing. can any body tell me something more about it?
Answers:
In early 2001, Ajinomoto was involved in a scandal in majority-Muslim Indonesia when it emerged that a pork-based enzyme had been used in its production of MSG. This gave ironic significance to the company's advertising slogan in some parts of the world: "What is Ajinomoto made of?" Similarly, in 1917 an urban legend had spread that Ajinomoto was made from snake. Another well known myth is that Ajinamoto causes baldness. These myths turned out not to be true.
The Ajinomoto company was formed to manufacture and market MSG in Japan; the name 'Ajinomoto' means "essence of taste". It was introduced to the United States in 1947 as Ac'cent flavor enhancer.
Modern commercial MSG is produced by fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses.
Sources of glutamate
Natural Occurrence
Glutamate itself is a widespread amino acid: it is found naturally in human bodies, and is found primarily in the bound form in protein-containing foods, such as mushrooms, seaweed, tomatoes, nuts, legumes, meats, and most dairy products. Only a fraction of the glutamate in foods is in a "free" form, and only free glutamate can enhance the flavour of foods. Part of the flavour-enhancing effect of tomatoes, fermented soy products, yeast extracts, certain sharp cheeses, and fermented or hydrolyzed protein products (such as soy sauce and soy bean paste) is due to the presence of free glutamate ions.
Asian cuisine originally used a natural seaweed broth, such as kelp, to bring up the umami taste in soups. Manufacturers, such as Ajinomoto, use selected strains of Micrococcus glutamicus bacteria in a bath of nutrient. The bacteria are selected for their ability to excrete glutamic acid, which is then separated from the nutrient bath and made into its sodium salt, monosodium glutamate.
Other Sources
Hydrolyzed proteins, or protein hydrolysates, are acid- or enzymatically treated proteins from certain foods. They contain salts of free amino acids, such as glutamate, at levels of 5 to 20 percent. Hydrolyzed proteins are used in the same manner as MSG in many foods, such as canned vegetables, soups, and processed meats.