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I just read an article stating that Nutella was dangerous (and addictive).

Terribly addicting indeed… but not surprising, because because the truth is that Nutella contains monosodium glutamate , aka E621 1 deeply hidden in the famous word ‘flavorings’. [2] You know, glutamate, the flavor enhancer that would stimulate appetite and maliciously destroy neurons[3]… To this is added – wait for it – a small dose of … plastic ! And yes, our famous spread contains DEHP , one of the most dangerous phthalates [4], which is usually used to produce packaging and has the nasty tendency to migrate into the product. Be aware that this unwelcome guest is banned in toys and cosmetics because it is considered a carcinogen and induces, uh … testicular atrophy. Nice, huh?

The references are quite shabby in my opinion (even if there is one from Nature). What I doubt, is that there is such substance in the Nutella. I also think that if there really is such substance in the product it would be in quantities that are safe for human consumption.

Is Nutella causing destruction of human neurons?

Oddthinking
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Zonata
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  • There are two questions here. The first [Is MSG bad for you?](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/4270/is-monosodium-glutamate-msg-bad-for-you) is a duplicate. The second "Does Nutella contain MSG?" is the only one left to answer. That should be easy enough to find out. – Oddthinking Jun 11 '13 at 01:03
  • Agreed, I have read that the ingredients are differents in North America than in Europe. In the first, it is claimed that MSG is hidden under the vanillin and it the latter under the label "flavorings". It make me even more doubt the claim. – Zonata Jun 11 '13 at 01:13
  • On MSG, there is no actual answer adressing the claim that it is a neurotoxin (could I ask a seperate question for that?). – Zonata Jun 11 '13 at 01:16
  • do you really think regulators would allow something to be sold as food on supermarket shelves, marketed to children, that is known to be causing all the medical conditions claimed here? As to addictive: it contains sugar, sugar is highly addictive... – jwenting Jun 11 '13 at 05:46
  • I don't, hence the questioning about the claim made. – Zonata Jun 11 '13 at 05:58
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    @Zonata The other question shows that MSG isn’t bad for you. That implies that it isn’t neurotoxic, doesn’t it? (However, that question isn’t sufficiently informative in my opinion; the article you quote actually cites good evidence that MSG may have averse effects, even if the research is a bit dated.) – Konrad Rudolph Jun 11 '13 at 11:53
  • @jwenting Sure they do. You mentioned another such additive – sugar. The article linked in this question actually contains lots of peer-reviewed studies (published in respectable journals, not quack literature) as references. – Konrad Rudolph Jun 11 '13 at 12:03
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    @KonradRudolph you really think sugar is on the same level as PCBs and fearmongering things like "MSG causes braincells to die"? The whole thing reads just like that, mindless fearmongering and anti-industrial (and especially "anti-chemistry") nonsense like we've become accustomed to from the radical green movement and their offshoots in the radical vegan movement. – jwenting Jun 11 '13 at 12:27
  • @jwenting That’s what I thought but do have a look at the studies – they aren’t recent but they are numerous and seem solid, and at least our “Does MSG cause harm?” question has no answer debunking this. And I never implied PCBs and sugar were on the same level. – Konrad Rudolph Jun 11 '13 at 12:29
  • @KonradRudolph that question is effectively answered as "no, unless the person is oversensitive to the substance". If you based on that claim MSG causes braindamage you could claim the exact same for pretty much every substance known to mankind (oxygen is for example extremely harmful, it's the most corrosive compound in the known universe...). – jwenting Jun 11 '13 at 12:38
  • @jwenting And you have the evidence to show that … right here? – Konrad Rudolph Jun 11 '13 at 12:42
  • @jwenting "The whole thing reads just like that, mindless fearmongering and anti-industrial (and especially "anti-chemistry") nonsense like we've become accustomed to from the radical green movement and their offshoots in the radical vegan movement." That is quite an accusation. It may be true, but it may not be. It would not be the first time a government close its eyes on a dangerous product (e.g. asbestos). – Zonata Jun 11 '13 at 14:40
  • What the referenced studies are not is a balanced view of the whole field; they are a highly biased selection attempting to validate a prejudice. No good quality systematic reviews are there and there is no explanation of why the double blind studies on suposed sufferers of MSG sensitivity show no effect. Also, I'm fairly sure that injecting Nutella would be bad for me, especially in the eye or brain (as some studies did with MSG). Are any of them relevant to real doses in food? MSG is as natural as water (though excess water will also surely kill you). – matt_black Jun 12 '13 at 20:43
  • @matt_black Could you edit your answer to add such details on the other question about MSG? – Zonata Jun 12 '13 at 23:05

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