MSG has long been a contentious ingredient. It is often vilified, as a lot of people believe that they are allergic to the stuff. Recently, though, MSG has had its reputation partially restored as it is thought to be a source of Umami, the much-heralded fifth taste.

A new study has raised the possibility that MSG might once again losing its good standing. A group of scientists have recently finished a study linking MSG to higher body weight. They found that "high MSG consumption was associated with a 110 per cent increase in the risk" of having a high body mass index (BMI).

Industry groups immediately responded, essentially saying "no way Jose." The Glutamate Association said that on top of flaws in the study, areas of the world that already consume large amounts of MSG do not have high BMI numbers (which would indicate they were overweight). What do you think about the new findings?

Okay, perhaps this is not a typical first food memory, but it's one of my favorites. I've been watching the box set of Freaks and Geeks and during one of the episodes, the "geeks" dare each other to drink a disgusting combination of ingredients (salt, sardines, pickle juice...) for money. O how the memories came flooding back.

When my brother and I were in elementary school, we used to do the exact. same. thing. We used to stand at the refrigerator and goad each other into drinking conconctions we created. Our rules were that you could only use three ingredients (to cut down on disgust-osity) and we could only pick items from the fridge.

Just like on the TV show, pickle juice was a favorite starter liquid.

Thinking back on it, the experience was actually very helpful. It taught us about flavor combinations, and we certainly drank enough MSG-laced brine to learn about umami at an early age. In fact, both my brother and I went on to have food-related jobs. Bro was a line cook at restaurants in San Francisco and Germany. I dabbled in catering and now write about food. Maybe it all started with a little kimchi juice-mayo-grape jam cocktail.

Anyone else do this?

A boon for travellers who have special dietary requirements-a set of cards that could help out in countries where English is not widely spoken.

The wallet sized cards are available in 15 languages (French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, German, Swedish, Russian, Polish, Japanese, Thai, two forms of Chinese and of Portuguese - plus English). They come resplendent with a picture of the offending food stuff and can have stronger warnings for particularly hazardous foods. Over 40 different food stuffs covering peanuts, wheat, milk, fish, eggs, onions, lactose, gluten and monosodium glutamate are detailed. You select the language and the cards are printed off to order.

They are available through www.selectwisely.com for US$10 A$13.30. A boon for the traveller with dodgy intolerance's or more serious life-threatening conditions.

Why do you buy your breakfast cereal? Peace Raspberry Ginger cereal carries a quote from Mother Teresa, along with a promise to send 10% of profits to a "foundation for peace." Barbara's Bakery, which makes the Cinnamon, Peanut Butter and Honey Rice Puffins cereals, sends a percentage of its profits to a wildlife refuge (to help puffins... maybe). Envirokidz Panda Puffs (my fave of the brands mentioned) has a box 10% smaller than other cereals to contribute to "global sustainability."

They're part of a growing trend of "alternative cereals," says Marian Burros in the New York Times. But: "one thing few of them can boast about is taste. I sampled about 100, and words like cardboard, sawdust, soggy and stale often came to mind. And natural dried berries don't taste any better than artificial ones."

After reviewing all the labels and pointing out the offending high-sugar (Peace Maple Raisin and Mother's Cinnamon Oat Crunch) and high-sodium (Peace Mango Passion, Cascadian Farm Hearty Morning 360) varieties, Burros picks out only five that she would eat, if she ever gives up stone-ground oatmeal: Arrowhead Mills Shredded Wheat, Cascadian Farm Wheat Crunch, Kashi Mighty Bites, Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs and Kashi 7 Whole Grain Flakes. And then she predicts that consumers won't put up with tasteless cereal for long, even if it is sustainable and high in fiber.

I don't find that to be true in my family - we eat the healthy, organic varieties and I actually enjoy them. I've even found that some varieties are quite low in sugar. I'd add Mother's Peanut Butter Bumpers and the yummy, low-sugar Heritage Flakes from Nature's Path. Do you eat planet-healthy cereals? Do you like them?

What do soy sauce, parmesan, and tomatoes have in common? They all contain free glutamates, which makes them have a savory taste--what the Japanese call umami. Literally translated, it means "delicious taste", and some argue it's another taste sensation that our mouths can detect.

In modern chemical form, MSG (monosodium glutamate) is sometimes used in dishes to induce a big umami flavor. Critics have said that MSG can cause headaches, but no actual scientific link has been found. And, the fact is, many Asian cultures have used naturally occurring MSG like in bonito flakes and seaweed to flavor broths for centuries without problems. Other foods like cheese, walnuts, mushrooms, and even broccoli contain glutamates. Some suggest that the whole MSG syndrome is a form of mass psychosis.

I have met only one friend who is allergic to MSG--so allergic that if he would be able to tell if MSG were present in a room. What I wonder is if he's only allergic to the artificial chemical MSG, or just any MSG? I would find it hard to believe that any food with glutamate in it would cause a reaction, because that's one long list. Does anyone else have MSG allergies?

Reason Not to Like Gwyneth Paltrow #70: she gets irrationally dramatic around convenience foods. According to the NY Daily News, the actress, who just finished directing a short film called Dealbreakers, flipped out when she spotted a box full of Cup-A-Soup on the set. "Who eats this stuff?" she demanded. When a crew member admitted that his kids were actually really into the additive-laden snack, Ms. Paltrow-Martin said – and you can wait for it, because it's totally worth it – "I would rather die than let my kid eat Cup-A-Soup." Gwynnie famously adheres to a macrobiotic diet, but she once told the Evening Standard that she would be understanding if baby Apple "didn't want to be vegetarian or [wanted] to eat hydrogenated oils ... I'm not going to be a controlling, overprotective hippie." Guess she changed her mind, huh?

A few weeks after the fall of Baghdad, Chen Xianzhong opened the first authentic Chinese restaurant in post-Sadaam Iraq. His only competition? A rival joint in the Green Zone whose proprietors he writes off as "amateurs" whilst intimating that the restaurant doubles as a massage parlor. Everything was going great for awhile - until a suicide bombing "spewed body parts into the dining room." Now Chen and a few workers prepare take-out from the top of his Chinese goods emporium for a few regulars who got hooked on his food before choas wrecked his business. Craig S. Smith has more in the New York Times.