New all-natural Ingredient replaces MSG in iconic salad dressing

A company based in Israel has found a way to make the iconic ranch-style salad dressing without using monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Mediterranean Umami, an all-natural ingredient made from vegetable extracts and seas salt, retains the ranch-style dressing flavour without the MSG and while reducing sodium at the same time, said David Hart, business unit director for Salt of the Earth Ltd in a release.

“We worked intensively to crack the code of MSG’s unique flavour contribution to traditional Ranch dressing formulations,” Hart said.

Salt of the Earth completed multiple trials of Ranch dressing formulations with and without Mediterranean Umami. These trials effectively demonstrated the ability to maintain the true flavour of Ranch dressing, but with 30 per cent less sodium, and without using MSG or yeast extracts.

Mediterranean Umami is similar to MSG in its ability to boost taste, he said.

Some consumers avoid the popular salad dressing and dipping because of their sensitivity to MSG content.

“Chinese restaurant syndrome” is a term coined in the 1960s referring to a group of symptoms some say they experience after eating foods made with MSG, a common ingredient in Chinese cooking. Today, it’s known as MSG Symptom Complex. These symptoms often include headache, skin flushing, and sweating.

Hart said Mediterranean Umami offers an alternative.  “Being a completely natural combination of vegetable extracts and sea salt, Mediterranean Umami does not trigger side-effects and is a clean-label product evoking no negative consumer reactions,” he said.

Salt of the Earth has been producing sustainable sea salt solutions for the global food industry since 1922. Its customers span more than 20 countries on five continents.

The company controls and tracks sustainable salt resources and works to promote balanced salt consumption through innovative sodium reduction solutions.