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No consensus on glutamate

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 62, pages 1252–1253 (2008)Cite this article

Sir, with irritation I took notice of the consensus meeting paper, ‘monosodium glutamate – an update’, by Beyreuther et al., published in Eur J Clin Nutr, 2006. The authors conclude, ‘a maximum (GLU) intake of 16.000 (sixteen dot triple zero) mg/kg body weight is regarded safe’. The number is misleading. It might be interpreted as 16 mg/kg body weight or 16 000 mg/kg, that is 16 g/kg body weight. Reading the manuscript itself, the confusion increases. When addressing the question, ‘can we define a safe level of intake regarding adding GLU?’ the authors state, ‘based on dietary animal studies (metabolic control), a ‘no observed adverse effect level’ of 16000 mg/kg body weight was calculated in weaning animals …’. Yet, on page 7, evidence is cited that ‘the oral dose that is lethal to 50% of subjects (LD50) in rats and mice is 15 000–18 000 mg/kg bw, respectively’. This is difficult to understand.

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  1. University of Kiel Germany, Altenhof, Germany. E-mail: hermanussen.aschauhof@t-online.de,

    M Hermanussen

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  1. M Hermanussen
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Hermanussen, M. No consensus on glutamate. Eur J Clin Nutr 62, 1252–1253 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602828

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