Does nutritional yeast contain MSG? Why?

Nutritional yeast does not contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the synthetic form that is often associated with processed foods. Here are the key points to clarify this:

Natural Glutamic Acid

Nutritional yeast naturally contains glutamic acid, an amino acid that is found in many foods, including plant and animal proteins. This glutamic acid is in its bound form and is not the same as the synthetic MSG352.

Difference from MSG

MSG is the isolated sodium salt of glutamic acid, a synthetically created compound used to enhance flavor in processed foods. In contrast, the glutamic acid in nutritional yeast is naturally occurring and part of the yeast's protein structure352.

No Synthetic Addition

Unless explicitly added by the manufacturer, nutritional yeast does not contain synthetic MSG. The concerns about MSG-like compounds in nutritional yeast stem from a misunderstanding about the natural presence of glutamic acid, which is not harmful in its bound form352.

In summary, nutritional yeast contains naturally occurring glutamic acid but does not contain synthetic MSG unless it is specifically added by the manufacturer, which is rare.