Perceptions of food and their transformation: MSG consumption and rejection

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K20849
• Project/Area Number (Other): 18H05644 (2018)
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund (2019); Single-year Grants (2018)
• Review Section: 0104:Geography, cultural anthropology, folklore, and related fields
• Research Institution: Aoyama Gakuin University (2020-2021); National Museum of Ethnology (2018-2019)
• Principal Investigator: Osawa Yoshimi 青山学院大学, 地球社会共生学部, 助教 (40822630)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-08-24 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: MSG / グルタミン酸ナトリウム / タイ / 調味料 / 食文化 / うま味 / 科学調味料 / 味

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to investigate the process of how MSG (monosodium glutamate) has accepted and spreaded in Thailand, one of the countries with large consumption of MSG, as well as the phenomenon of rejection of its consumption seen in recent years. As a result of field work and data analysis, it has became clear that MSG has spread throughout Thailand since the 1970s, and that it has been accepted because of its high taste preference and its meaning and value attached to MSG as a new foreign seasoning. On the other hand, the rejection of MSG consumption has existed since at least the late 1970s and this can be analyzed from multiple perspectives, including perceptions of consumption of food additives and healthiness, consumer movements, and criticism of the authority of Japanese companies.

Free Research Field

文化人類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

現代において食や健康に関する課題は後を絶たない。本研究では、MSG消費の普及から拒絶という現象までを研究対象とし、一度は受け入れられたMSGがなぜ拒絶されうるのかを検討した。MSGの拒絶に関しては、食や健康にまつわる情報がいかに選択され、食の実践に影響を与えるのか、食品工業・科学技術への信頼性や、グローバルな味や商品の認識はどう変化しているのかなど、現代が抱える食と健康に関する課題について包括的に考察し、食べることの複雑性・多層性を示す事例を提供した。