Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Function: Flavor Enhancer
E621 is the European food-additive number for Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (E621) is a flavour enhancer used as a food additive.
What is E621 used for?
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (E621) is a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. It is added during food production for a technological purpose rather than for nutrition. See all flavour enhancers (E-numbers).
Is E621 safe or restricted?
E621 is approved for use in the EU but has drawn regulatory attention — its conditions of use or acceptable daily intake have been re-examined by EFSA or equivalent bodies. Forkin classifies it as “Regulatory attention” and does not make health claims. See the methodology for how regulatory levels are assigned, or the guide to how EU additives are approved, re-evaluated and banned.
Is E621 vegan or vegetarian?
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (E621) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The production source can vary between manufacturers — the Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product. Always read the label for allergens.
Which foods contain E621?
E621 appears in 5,173 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in sausages, instant noodles and pork (general).
- Sausages690
- Instant Noodles420
- Pork (General)319
- Olives202
- Corn Snacks194
- Potato Chips133
- Chicken (General)126
- Ham123
Often appears alongside
Additives most frequently found in the same ingredient lists as E621 across the catalogue.
Counts reflect Forkin's independently enriched product catalogue and update as new products are added — they are not a market-share statistic.
Frequently asked questions about E621
- What is E621?
- E621 is the E-number for Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (E621) is a flavour enhancer used as a food additive.
- What is E621 used for?
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (E621) is a flavour enhancer — used to bring out the existing taste of a food. Manufacturers add it during processing rather than for nutrition. The Forkin app shows which products in your scan history actually contain it.
- Which foods contain E621?
- E621 appears in 5,173 of the 4.7 million products in Forkin's catalogue — most often in sausages, instant noodles and pork (general). Scan any barcode with the Forkin app to see instantly whether a specific product contains it.
- Is E621 vegan or vegetarian?
- Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) (E621) is typically produced from plant, mineral, or synthetic sources, so it is generally suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The Forkin app shows the verified vegan and vegetarian status per product, since the source can vary between manufacturers.
- Is E621 safe, and is it banned anywhere?
- E621 is approved for use in the EU but has drawn regulatory attention — its conditions of use or acceptable daily intake have been re-examined by EFSA or equivalent bodies. Forkin classifies it as "Regulatory attention" and does not make health claims — see the methodology page for how regulatory levels are assigned, and the Forkin app for the full profile, including acceptable daily intake (ADI) and restrictions by country.
See the full profile in Forkin
The Forkin app surfaces the full regulatory profile of E621 — acceptable daily intake (ADI), restrictions by country, vegan/vegetarian status, alternative names, and which products in your scan history contain it. See view pricing.