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MSG, the umami seasoning frequently added to Chinese cuisine, came under fire on 4th April, 1968 - when Dr Robert Ho Man Kwok wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine musing about the possible causes of a \u2018syndrome\u2019 he experienced whenever he ate at Chinese restaurants in the US.\xa0\xa0\n\u201cThe most prominent symptoms are numbness at the back of the neck, gradually radiating to both arms in the back, general weakness and palpitation\u201d, he wrote, in a letter that soon attracted multiple responses from other clinicians - and spawned an unscientific panic about monosodium glutamate which still persists to this day.\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly investigate which foods contain naturally-occurring MSG; ask why 1960s America was especially susceptible to scepticism about chemical additives; and consider the racist undertones to the definitions of the \u2018syndrome\u2019 in the modern-day dictionary\u2026\xa0\nFurther Reading:\n\u2022 Is MSG as bad as it\u2019s made out to be? (BBC Future, 2015): https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20151106-is-msg-as-bad-as-its-made-out-to-be\n\u2022 The Campaign to Redefine \u2018Chinese Restaurant Syndrome\u2019 (The New York Times, 2020): https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/dining/msg-chinese-restaurant-syndrome-merriam-webster-dictionary.html\n\u2022 \u2018Korean chef talk about MSG myth - Uncle Roger is RIGHT? WRONG?\u2019 (Goodchoi's Kitchen, 2020):\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et_ja0X9C4I\nEnjoyed this episode? There\u2019s over FIVE MINUTES more material, cut-for-time from today\u2019s show and exclusively available to our podcast\u2019s supporters, available right now - in which The Retrospectors investigate Ken Hom\u2019s MSG-criticism; Tesco\u2019s international websites; and whether pizza causes \u2018sexual incontinence\u2019...\nDiscover this bonus bit - and similar extra content every single week - by supporting the show via Patreon* or clicking \u2018Subscribe\u2019 on Apple Podcasts.\n* top two tiers only - https://patreon.com/retrospectors\nFor bonus material and to support the show, visit\xa0Patreon.com/Retrospectors\nWe'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts:\xa0podfollow.com/Retrospectors\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham.\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2022.\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices