FDA Advisory on Safety of MSG and Aspartame

THE Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued an advisory that monosodium glutamate (MSG), widely known as “vetsin”, and Aspartame are safe food additives. The global acceptance of said food additives were based on safety evaluations made by various international scientific organizations. FDA’s advisory cited findings from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).

The public is informed about inclusion of MSG and Aspartame in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) STAN 1992-1995 and the Philippines list of Permissible Food Additives under Bureau Circular 2006-016.

Although safety of these food additives are affirmed, FDA’s Acting Director General Dr. Kenneth Y. Hartigan-Go also urged people who are sensitive to some food substances to read food labels. He further explained, “The declaration of every ingredient in descending order of proportion on the product label is mandatory.”

FDA Advisory Number 2013-058 entitled “Safety of Monosodium Glutatmate (MSG) and Aspartame as food additives” was released last November 28, 2013 and can be downloaded from FDA websitehttp://www.fda.gov.ph. Inquiries may be directed to info@fda.gov.ph.