Dot’s is a seasoned pretzel brand made in North Dakota. Its primary pretzel products include Original Seasoned, Southwest Seasoned, and Honey Mustard Seasoned pretzel twists.
Here you will learn if these pretzels contain added MSG. Let’s get into it!
Dot’s Pretzels & Added MSG
Food manufacturers that are required to follow U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, such as Dot’s, are required to list added MSG in the ingredient list on the label. If a product has added MSG, it will appear under its unabbreviated name known as “Monosodium Glutamate”.
The table below reflects the Dot’s Pretzel flavors along with their ingredients and a note on whether each contains added MSG. Original and Southwest flavors contain added MSG since their ingredients indicate that they have Monosodium Glutamate.
Dot’s Honey Mustard pretzels have no added MSG. While this product contains no added MSG, it still may have glutamate. Glutamate is found naturally in some foods like corn which components in these pretzels.
| Flavor | Added MSG? (Yes or No) | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Original Seasoned | Yes | Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Salt, Vegetable Oil (May Contain One or More of the Following: Corn, Canola, Soybean), Artificial Butter Flavor, Corn Syrup, Yeast; Flavoring (Maltodextrin, Buttermilk, Salt, Dried Garlic, Monosodium Glutamate, Spices, Dried Onion, Lactic Acid, Calcium Lactate, Citric Acid, Contains Less than 1% of the Following: Calcium Stearate, Artificial Flavor, Xanthan Gum, Carboxymethylcellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor). |
| Southwest Seasoned | Yes | Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Salt, Vegetable Oil (May Contain One or More of the Following: Corn, Canola, Soybean), Artificial Butter Flavor, Corn Syrup, Yeast, Flavoring (Maltodextrin, Tomato Powder, Spices, Cheddar Cheese [Pasteurized Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes], Natural and Artificial Flavors [Including Extractives of Celery Seed], Dehydrated Red Bell Pepper, Monosodium Glutamate, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate, Cream Solids, Paprika, Jalapeno Pepper, Citric Acid, Lime Juice Solids, Lactic Acid, Contains Less than 2% of the Following as Processing Aids: Silicon Dioxide and Calcium Stearate). |
| Honey Mustard | No | Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (May contain one or more of the following: Canola, Corn, Soybean), Granulated Sugar, Brown Sugar, Honey, Salt, Less than 2% of Yeast, Salad Mustard Powder (Salad Mustard (Distilled Vinegar, Mustard Seed, Salt, Turmeric), Maltodextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavor), Maltodextrin, Mustard, Garlic Powder, Turmeric, Spices, Onion Powder, Dijon Mustard Powder (Dijon Mustard (Distilled Vinegar, Mustard, Salt, White Wine, Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid, Spices), Maltodextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavor), Natural Flavor, Silicon Dioxide, Whey, Vinegar, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Expeller Pressed Sunflower Oil, Gum Arabic, Extractives of Paprika, Mustard Oil. |
Why Is MSG In Dot’s?
MSG is used as a flavor enhancer. It provides a savory taste called umami. People often described it as tasting “broth-like” or “meaty” but it is certainly difficult to associated it to existing flavors considering its uniqueness.
Umami is considered the fifth taste alongside sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Added MSG is found in numerous foods including sauces, seasonings, broths, snack foods, Asian cuisines, processed meats, and more.
SEE ALSO>>>Do Cheez-It Crackers Have MSG? (Answered)
Is MSG Safe?
Added MSG is “generally recognized as safe” by the FDA. However, there have been many reports through the years of it causing issues such as headaches, flushing, chest pain, nausea, weakness, and other mild symptoms.
Reactions related to MSG are called MSG symptom complex. However, the Mayo Clinic notes that there has been no established links between MSG and these symptoms through research including blinded tests.
Additional research certainly needs to be conducted. However, you may wish to avoid foods with MSG and natural glutamate if you suspect they are causing you discomfort or health issues.
