MSG: Chefs on why the controversial seasoning is making a comeback

Many Americans grew up hearing it is unhealthy or even dangerous to consume monosodium glutamate — more popularly known as MSG. 

While it is associated with being found in Asian dishes, it is also a common ingredient in American foods. It also occurs naturally in foods such as tomatoes and cheese, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

The safety of MSG first came into question in 1968 when a doctor wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine titled "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome," said chef and author J. Kenji López-Alt. The study was not based on science but on symptoms, Alt said, and soon started an MSG backlash.