An eagle-eyed KFC customer was shocked to discover one of the fast food chain’s secret ingredients and claimed she thought the substance had been banned.
The woman, from New Zealand, shared an image of a condiment packet labeled ‘CORONEL SANDERS RECIPE Kentucky Fried Chicken Seasoning’.
The label shows that the ingredients contain more than the chain’s famous ‘secret herbs and spices’ with the controversial MSG (monosodium glutamate) salt included.
The eagle-eyed KFC customer posted an image of a condiment package belonging to the fast-food chain showing that MSG (monosodium glutamate) was one of the ingredients in their chicken.
Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, is shown here as he celebrates his 88th birthday after inventing the popular 11-spice recipe that has been a closely guarded secret since the 1940s.
The customer was outraged and posted her disgust on social media, sparking a heated discussion about the popular takeaway.
“It’s like salt on crack,” he wrote on Facebook.
Facebook users were divided, with some sharing their surprise that MSG was the secret to KFC’s original chicken recipe, while others said it was fine in moderation.
‘I’ve read some articles about MSG or Chinese restaurant syndrome. It was mostly an attack on ethnic communities by some who were just being racist! It’s fine in moderation! Umami seasoning is the same,” one woman replied.
KFC says it uses MSG in accordance with Food Standards Australia New Zealand guidelines and that the additive occurs naturally in many foods.
“I’m sure MSG has never been banned, and all the myths surrounding it have been debunked,” said another.
Others who joined the debate worried that the additive was a crucial ingredient in KFC’s chicken.
“Yuck no wonder I always feel bad afterward,” wrote one.
Extensive studies have been done on MSG over the last 40 years, but no medical body has found any convincing evidence that it has links to serious illness or death in humans.
Many people say they experience adverse effects from eating foods containing MSG, including headaches, sweating, heart palpitations, and nausea.
As a result, countries around the world ensure that the additive must be approved for use before it is used in products, and must be clearly labelled.
In 2017, a man in Mahad, northern India, was reported to have lost his voice and the ability to swallow after eating MSG.
According to a report in the Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, the 23-year-old went to hospital with slurred speech and was unable to swallow.
Doctors discovered that her mouth had swollen and attributed this to the MSG in the Chinese fried rice she had eaten for dinner the night before.
The man complained of dizziness, sweating and itching all over his body, but recovered within a few days.
KFC confirmed that it uses MSG.
“Some of our foods do contain MSG, but rest assured it is only present at levels that are safe for the general population,” the fried chicken chain says on its website.
“It is a recognized flavor enhancer that is also found naturally in foods such as meat, fish, milk, vegetables, fruit and cheese.”
Food Standards Australia New Zealand says it has been researching monosodium glutamate for four decades and deemed it safe.
‘Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) reviewed the safety of MSG in 2003 and concluded that ‘there is no convincing evidence that MSG is a significant factor causing systemic reactions leading to serious illness or mortality,’ the group says on its site. Web.
‘In Australia and New Zealand, no food additives, including MSG, are approved for use in food until FSANZ has established their safety.
“MSG and other glutamates are among a group of food additives that are generally allowed in foods, due to their safety.”
