What E620 actually is
Glutamic acid is the free amino acid responsible for savoury taste. Its salt form, monosodium glutamate, is far more commonly used because it dissolves better, but the acid itself appears where a manufacturer wants savouriness without adding sodium. Parmesan, ripe tomatoes, soy sauce, and mushrooms are all naturally high in it.
What it is made from
Produced by bacterial fermentation of plant sugars such as molasses, cassava, or corn starch, the same process used for MSG. It is also one of the twenty amino acids in ordinary dietary protein.
Vegan, vegetarian, and halal status
Fermentation-produced glutamic acid is suitable for vegan, vegetarian, and halal diets. It is worth knowing that the additive and the naturally occurring compound are chemically identical, so a product listing no added glutamate can still carry plenty of free glutamate from tomato, cheese, or yeast extract.
Is E620 safe?
Glutamate is one of the most studied food additives there is. EFSA set a group acceptable daily intake of 30 mg per kg of body weight per day for glutamic acid and its salts in 2017, based on high-intake modelling rather than any finding of harm. Glutamate is a normal component of dietary protein and the body handles the added form no differently. The symptoms once attributed to it have not been reproduced in double-blind testing.
- A normal component of dietary protein, handled identically whether added or naturally present
- EFSA group acceptable daily intake of 30 mg per kg of body weight per day, set on intake modelling
- Symptoms historically attributed to glutamate have not been reproduced in double-blind trials
Where regulators stand
- EFSA (EU)
- Re-evaluated in 2017. Group acceptable daily intake of 30 mg per kg of body weight per day for glutamates.
- FDA (US)
- Generally recognized as safe.
Foods it turns up in
- Savoury snacks and seasoning
- Stock, gravy, and packet sauces
- Instant noodles
- Naturally in parmesan, tomatoes, mushrooms, and soy sauce
Names it hides behind
- E620
- Glutamic acid
- Flavour enhancer (E620)
- E621 monosodium glutamate is the common salt form
- Yeast extract and hydrolysed protein carry free glutamate without being labelled as such
Common questions
- Is glutamic acid the same as MSG?
- Closely related. Glutamic acid is E620, the free acid. MSG is E621, its sodium salt, which dissolves better and is far more widely used.
- Is E620 vegan and halal?
- Yes. It is made by fermenting plant sugars, the same process used for MSG, with nothing animal-derived.
- Is glutamate natural?
- It is one of the twenty amino acids in protein and occurs freely in parmesan, tomatoes, mushrooms, and soy sauce. The additive is chemically identical to the naturally occurring form.
- Does no added MSG mean no glutamate?
- No. A product can carry substantial free glutamate from yeast extract, hydrolysed protein, tomato, or cheese while truthfully claiming no MSG was added.
- Why use E620 instead of E621?
- It adds savouriness without contributing sodium, which matters in products targeting a lower salt figure.
Checking a real pack
This page answers the code. The pack in your hand is what decides, because the same code can come from different sources depending on the manufacturer. LabelWise, formerly SafeChoice, scans the label and explains what is in front of you.
LabelWise content is educational and describes how additives are made, regulated, and labelled. It is not medical, dietary, or religious advice. For certification questions, the mark on the pack and the certifying body are the authority.