Mono Sodium Glutamate

The third "unknown" pratfall of salad dressings is mostly but not exclusively a danger of Ranch dressing, including the "original" by Hidden Valley. Almost all varieties of Ranch dressing include MSG.
MSG stands for Mono Sodium Glutamate. The average person can think this is a danger exclusive to Chinese food; that is far from the truth. Breaking down the name Mono Sodium Glutamate can leave us with a rough translation as "One Salt Sugar compound." "Glutamate" shares roots with glucose. This is a chemical compound of intense salt and sugar. I’ve seen MSG sold as a spice. It’s a white powder that makes food more "American" by adding both salt and sugar in forms that do not have to be specifically listed in ingredients. Despite the fact that MSG induces headaches in many people, the FDA does not require the ingredient to be bold in the contents list as true allergen foods must be.
I actually have a pretty good diet, blood sugar levels aside. I am one of those who discovered my problem with MSG by the resulting headache.
Any Asian restaurant that states "no added MSG" is telling you that their food has MSG from the vendor. American Chinese food is actually much sweeter than true native cuisine. Many restaurants no longer use MSG, but it is safer to always ask. I found that most hold outs of MSG use are kiosks of Asian food in malls rather than true sit down restaurants.
Unfortunately, MSG is much more common than that. Here’s a partial lost of things I discovered through the illness derived from having eaten the wrong thing.
The Ranch dressing sold in the produce section of better super markets is the only Ranch I have found without MSG.
Regular Kraft dinner does not contain MSG. Kids’ varieties, even by Kraft, do have the compound. Most generic and lesser brands also contain MSG.
Most chip dips contain MSG.
Seemingly all Hillshire Farms sausage products contain MSG.
Cheese doodles, whether puffy or friend, contain MSG.
Spreadable cheeses are more likely than not to have MSG.
While more vendors and manufacturers are making the switch away from SG, it is better to assume that most soups and broth, particularly chicken varieties, contain MSG. It seems most prevalent with chicken varieties, and companies such as Progresso are labeling the changed formulas with prominent "no MSG" labels. Broth and bullion needs to be specifically checked before use.
Most dry soups including Cup o’Noodles and Ramen are huge MSG sources.
Convenient pasta pouches such as "Pasta Sides" and Hamburger Helper contain MSG.
Crackers, popcorn and snack chips in cheese flavors are likely to contain MG. Labels need to be read carefully. Check non-cheese varieties on any brand or line that you discover MSG in the cheese flavors.
MSG headaches are crippling to those prone to them. If you discover you’ve eaten something with MSG, I advise preventative aspirin as soon as possible and to intake as much water as possible to prevent the salt from dehydrating you.