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How does monosodium glutamate enhance the umami taste of food?

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A woman reads the nutrition labels on two brightly colored boxes of cereal. — food additive Labels provide information on a food product's ingredients and nutritional value.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) enhances the flavor of food by eliciting umami, a savory or meaty taste distinct from the other four basic sensations (sweet, salty, bitter, and sour).12

As a sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid, MSG acts as a flavor enhancer by stimulating specific taste receptors in the taste buds that are sensitive to glutamate. By providing this unique umami sensation, MSG supplements and intensifies the natural, complex flavors already present in foods such as meat, poultry, seafood, and vegetables.132

First identified as a flavor-enhancing component in seaweed by chemist Ikeda Kikunae in 1908, MSG is now produced commercially through a bacterial fermentation process. It is widely used in various culinary applications, including soups, broths, sauces, and spice blends, to provide a richer flavor profile.13