I picked up a can of the beef, barley and vegetable soup and started “analyzing” it – “analyzing = “reading the label”.
As I scanner the ingredients, I came across that familiar bad sign… “hydrolyzed vegetable protein”.
So, what is hydrolyzed vegetable protein? MSG.

Look at some of the soy sauces, salad dressings and anything else that says “No added MSG” or “No MSG” or No MSG added”. If it says hydrolyzed protein (soy protein or vegetable protein), it has MSG in it.

According to the truth in labeling website, this is illegal, but the FDA has “looked away”, and the USDA actaully promotes this illegal labeling and lying to the consumer… Here is an excerpt from the article on their website:

Placing “No MSG,” “No MSG Added,” or “No Added MSG” on food labels has been deemed by the FDA to be false and misleading under section (403)(a)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act when the label also lists any hydrolyzed protein as an ingredient since it contains MSG.”(3) Thus, to advertise “No MSG,” “No MSG Added,” or “No Added MSG” when there is MSG in a product is illegal.

At one time, the FDA responded to the illegal use of the term “No MSG Added,” with both a Regulatory Letter and threat of seizure and injunction in case of non-compliance.(4) At one time, State Attorneys General sued manufacturers that made such claims, and won consent decrees from them, and sometimes imposed fines.(5-6) But when the FDA began to look the other way, and the State Attorneys General turned their attention to other matters, the deceptive and misleading use of “No MSG” and No Added MSG” once more began proliferating.

Following the FDA’s announcement in 1995 that “…FDA considers foods whose labels say “No MSG” or “No Added MSG” to be misleading if the food contains ingredients that are sources of free glutamates, such as hydrolyzed protein,”(7) the incidence of such misleading and deceptive labels regulated by the FDA began to decline. At the same time, similar labels regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) continued proliferating. At the USDA they don’t simply fail to enforce the regulation. The USDA actually approves labels of meat and poultry products that claim “No MSG,” “No MSG Added,” or “No Added MSG” when they contain free glutamic acid.

To read the entire article, go Here

Anyway, back to my soup encounter at the store …
I put the can back on the shelf and looked at Marilyn. She said “I have barley, vegetables and such at home, let’s go home and make a big pot of it.”
We went home and she filled the crockpot full of all those yummy, healthful ingredients (BTW, barley is a great source of protein). I had a great dinner the next night – beef, barley and vegetables. And I had it for lunch the next day at work. And you know what they say –
Soup tastes better the next day…

So the next time you go to the store, read the label…
And pass on the MSG…

To your health,

Pat