restaurants and MSG.

[Shelley]

My co-workers and I went to Red Lobster, and a couple of us got sick. Yesterday, I had flashy things I was seeing. Of course, the air at work did seem a little stale.
There is nothing on their website to indicate much in the ways of ingredients.
How does one go about finding out about msg in restaurant food?
Shelley

 

[Bernard]

If you tell the waiter or manager you are allergic to MSG, they are responsible for ensuring it isn't served to you. Restaurants can be held liable for patrons with allergic reactions if the patrons have warned them prior to ordering:

Hotel, Restaurant, and Travel Law: A Preventive Approach

That said, there are no guarantees when you don't prepare your own meals.

BTW, did all of you experience the same issues? I would be more suspicious of food poisoning if several people got sick from the same outing. It might be an issue for your local Health Department.

 

[RobinN]

yes but...

there are many ways that MSG is now allowed to be hidden in our food. It can simply be labeled as Natural Flavorings. Your typical chef, or server is not going to know that Soy Protein is the direct relative of MSG. Look on your salad dressing label, your Campbell soup label. I found four of the known ingredients just on a yogurt label recently. It is very serious what is being done to our food.

 

[Birdbomb]

You need to ask the manager of the restaurant to check on the ingrediants. I used to work at Capt' D's Seafood and was amazed by the number of people who are ALLERGIC to shellfish or seafood yet would order a meal from us. That's really pushing it.

We had one lady deathly allergic to wheat and we served rolls with the broiler platters. When she ordered, I would personally insure no bread came in contact with her food. I have had her meal redone because some dummy in the back placed rolls on her platter.

If you have a food allergy make sure your TELL your server and reinterate it is an ALLERGY! That food item is NOT to make contact with your order. Of course, keep in mind, to only way to insure your food will be safe is cook it yourself, but that's no fun!

Find a trusted restaurant and TALK to the management and staff. Most places are very willing to accommodate your needs, especially for repeat customers. But YOU must speak up. :soap:

 

[RobinN]

I think a problem I have is that sometimes a person won't have an immediate reaction to the food. Sure you might have stomach cramps if you have intestinal issues, but it can be 48 hrs before you get an allergic reaction to MSG, in the form of seizure. So you ask yourself, what did I eat?

I really doubt the restaurant would know some of the items that contain glutamate.
Personally what has worked for us is... for the first few months we ate at home until we felt comfortable with the diet. Yet, even some of the items I bought at Whole Foods have additives.

Crazy world we live in.

 

[Shelley]

It was 48 hrs before I saw the flashy light thingys. I told everyone it was a migraine, and left the area and found some seclusion, then I went outside for some fresh air. I also am still having cramps around the abdominal area. But I think that some of the others were looking for an excuse to leave work early, rather than food poisoning.

 

[brain]

In my area, they are required to display
if they use MSG on the window or door.

MANY of the Restaurants are SO PROUD
that they PLASTER the NO MSG all over,
and those are the ones who usually are
full of people! Some even uses NO PEANUT
OIL or WE USE 100% VEGETABLE OIL ONLY!

OR if they use Peanuts or Soy, like a Chinese
Buffet - They will have the "Warning Sign"
Posted. People LOVE it and they take heed
to it.

This area RECOGNIZES people who have Food
Allergies, and even if you didn't go to a Buffet
and to a regular Restaurant, some of the Menu
would state "contains nuts: peanuts, walnuts,
filberts" if you were to order a special brownie
dessert.

These Restaurants won't put themselves into
"liabilities". And in addition, the customer can't
sue them saying I had an allergic reaction
because it had .... when it was clearly marked
in the menu.

I like this type of Menu so much, because they
don't hide anything.

There is one Place that my ex and I used to go
and it used to come with MSG and Peanuts, and
I simply tell the Server to sans the Peanuts and
MSG and she/he would write that down, and I
would get my dinner without the MSG and
Peanuts.

People don't realize you can request them to
eliminate a item or two off and have everything
else.

That's really COOL!

 

[RobinN]

I guess what I am not getting across very well, is that there are other names for MSG. Well, I think that it is glutamate per se....

Such as:
Natural Flavoring
Textured Protein
Yeast Extract
Maltodextrin
Soy Protein
Stock or Broth
Citric Acid
(many many other names that hide the additives)

I am not sure that many restaurants are aware that reactions to other types of glutamate are the same as with MSG.

 

[brain]

They are aware of that.

Everything they use in those
Restaurants are 100% natural.

Nothing is pre-made, only the
fish - crab legs, beef, etc - comes
fresh or frozen.

The Stock they make is homemade.

In fact, the one I go to, Triple A,
AOL, American Diabetics Association,
American Heart Association, Food &
Health Organization, I forget who all,
their walls are plastered with annual
awards - and they get straight A's from
the Health Department.

Some of their customers eat there for
lunch every day or every other day.
Because for the amount that they charge
is less than what they would spend at the
store and it's already cooked. Many of these
folks live alone. So they often walk in groups
from their Condo, Townhomes, Trailers, Homes
or Apartments, and sometimes carpool over.

When my Tenant came here I told him about
this place, and he HATES Chinese Food (but
it's not all Chinese though), and I told him
once you go there, you'll be addicted. "Yeah
right!" was his response.

I dare you to call him -- and he will confess,
and admit --- He's addicted and hooked!

He knows about my food allergies and
sensitivities. And he's known to tell people
that I can eat there and walk out "alive".
I don't know if that's a compliment or an
insult!

 

[Shelley]

:soapotential Sources of MSG
By David Buchholz, M.D.
Neurologist and author of Heal Your Headache

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), a flavoring used to create or enhance savory flavor, isn't just an additive used at some Chinese food restaurants. It's an ingredient common in many commercially prepared foods, including foods that are canned, jarred, bottled, bagged, or frozen, explains Dr. David Buchholz of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Considered a "natural" flavoring by the FDA, MSG can be a migraine-triggering substance for some individuals.
MSG can be found in soups, bouillons, seasoned salts, salty snacks, processed meats, veggie burgers, low-fat and low-calorie foods, and more.
Consider the list below for potential sources of MSG:
• Hydrolyzed* protein (including vegetable/ soy/plant/rice protein
• Yeast extract and autolyzed yeast
• Natural flavors/flavorings
• Broth, stock or bouillon
• Soy protein concentrate/isolate
• Textured protein
• Whey protein
• Protein-fortified items
• Malt extract
• Malted barley
• Maltodextrin
• Carrageenan
• Kombu (seaweed extract)
• Sodium or calcium caseinate
• Glutamic acid
• Gelatin
• Fermented or cultured items
• Ultra-pasteurized items
• Enzyme-modified items
*The term “hydrogenated” does not signify MSG.
Note: Also beware of similar-sounding items.

 

[RobinN]

Shelley -
Here is another thread that talks about MSG ( glutamate, glutamic acid and excitotoxins )
I am seeing that my daughter is highly sensitive to these. All her recent seizures have been following eating or drinking anything with the ingredients in it. Her first and second seizures were also. I can't claim all her seizures were, as I didn't link the two at the time. I was given a huge wake up call recently and it is making me highly suspicious.

Keep researching on this subject I am liking this info very much.

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/exitotoxins-coping-670/

 

[Shelley]

I guess I'm going to have to browse the board more thouroly. I didn't mean to repost something that was posted once already. My bad.

 

[Bernard]

No blood, no foul!

 

[RobinN]

You are too funny Bernard. Is that the uniform you wear at home? Keep them all in line that way I suppose.

Also.. Shelley, Bernard has nothing better to do than to merge our threads together. I do it all the time.

 

[Bernard]

Hehe... That's not me... Just a random picture I found on the internet.

 

[Shelley]

foul!

 

[Bernard]

Fowl indeed.

 

[Shelley]

bird brain?

 

[Shelley]

msg?

http://community.naturalcures.com/video/video/show?id=837025:Video:5201