Latest news with #DavidChang
National Geographic
6 days ago
- Health
- National Geographic
MSG is making a comeback. But was it ever really that bad for you?
For years, advertising and media connected the ingredient to 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.' Here's what led to the misconception—and how MSG is being reclaimed today. Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a common ingredient across Asian cuisines. But its history is riddled with false health claims and misinformation. Photograph by Penchan Pumila / Alamy Stock Photo MSG's reputation has been on the mend for years. Once blamed for dubious health concerns like headaches, numbness, and chest pains, the ingredient now appears in cocktails, cookies, and influencer pantry tours with growing pride. But MSG's cultural redemption hasn't happened in a vacuum. Ajinomoto—the world's largest producer of monosodium glutamate, or MSG—has played a quiet but consistent role in reshaping how we think about the additive. And a wave of Asian American chefs and creators, including David Chang in a 2012 TED Talk, have been reclaiming it over the last decade, pushing back against decades of xenophobia and misinformation. (The surprising story of how chili crisp took over the world.) What is MSG? First isolated from kombu in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, monosodium glutamate was hailed as a scientific breakthrough—a crystalline distillation of umami. A year later, Ikeda helped establish Ajinomoto to manufacture and distribute the seasoning commercially. Marketed as a kind of culinary enlightenment, the ingredient's popularity spread quickly across East and Southeast Asia. Restaurants stocked it tableside; ads described it as refined, nutritious, and essential for the modern household. In the United States, MSG gained traction after World War II, when returning American soldiers remarked that Japanese rations tasted better than their own—a difference attributed, in part, to the use of MSG. The seasoning caught the attention of food scientists and entered American kitchens in the late 1940s. From miracle powder to cultural scapegoat By the 1950s, MSG was a staple of industrial kitchens and processed foods—from canned soups to frozen dinners—embedding itself in the architecture of quick and easy American food. Then came the backlash. In 1968, a Chinese American physician named Robert Ho Man Kwok wrote a letter to the New England Journal of Medicine, describing symptoms—numbness, weakness, palpitations—he occasionally experienced after eating at Chinese restaurants. He suggested MSG as a possible cause, among other ingredients like salt and soy sauce. Readers wrote in claiming similar experiences, and soon, 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' entered the cultural lexicon. A year later, a paper in Science authored by a neurologist gave the MSG theory scientific veneer, despite what modern researchers have described as questionable, anecdotal evidence. MSG quickly became a scapegoat for anxieties around Chinese food. Restaurants began displaying 'No MSG' signs to reassure diners, and at one point, the U.S. government considered restrictions on MSG. (How the humble soybean took over the world.) Yet decades of scientific studies have failed to find a consistent link between MSG and these alleged symptoms. Major health organizations, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization, and European Food Safety Authority, have concluded that MSG does not pose a health risk when consumed at typical dietary levels. A 1995 FDA analysis stated that there is 'an absence of data to support a neurotoxic effect from MSG at levels required to produce a flavor-enhancing effect.' 'Every major public health organization has reviewed the evidence,' says Tia Rains, vice president of science at Ajinomoto. 'When it's used as seasoning in food, it is not harmful to the public,' though it can pose risks if consumed in large amounts. Over the past five years, Ajinomoto has sponsored educational content, partnered with influencers, and pushed to correct long-standing myths around MSG's safety. They're also actively pushing back against critics. In a 2022 advertising dispute in Brazil, Ajinomoto filed a complaint with the country's advertising self-regulatory body, the National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (CONAR), alleging that a Burger King ad campaign misled consumers by unfairly implying that MSG was harmful. Ajinomoto initially won, arguing the ads unfairly targeted MSG, but the decision was overturned when CONAR ruled that the negative implications about MSG were subjective and fell within the bounds of commercial free speech. MSG and the discovery of umami In fact, the groundwork for MSG's rehabilitation began well before the glossy explainers and branded partnerships; it started in the 1980s with a scientific campaign to legitimize umami. At the helm was Kumiko Ninomiya, a biochemist who spent 40 years in Ajinomoto's global communications department and became known as the 'Umami Mama.' She set out to prove that umami wasn't just a flavor, but the fifth basic taste with its own receptors, putting it on equal footing with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. (Who is General Tso—and why does he have his own chicken dish?) With Ninomiya leading the charge, Ajinomoto helped establish the Umami Information Center, where they organized international symposiums bringing together scientists to explore the sensory basis of umami. The breakthrough came in the early 2000s, when a group of independent American researchers identified a taste receptor specifically for glutamate, cementing umami's status alongside the other four basic tastes. That finding helped reframe MSG—not just as an artificial additive, but as a purified form of something elemental. Ajinomoto played a central role in promoting those findings. 'When scientists discovered the glutamate receptor, that news spread around the world,' says Ninomiya. 'We decided to share that information more widely to chefs and nutritionists.' Today, that scientific validation underpins a broader cultural shift—one shaped by genuine enthusiasm, but also by a corporate narrative that has quietly blurred into cultural reclamation. When identity, science, and branding align, it can be hard to tell who's leading the conversation. Chefs go out of their way to praise MSG's transformative effect on food; content creators flaunt it in videos; dietitians even recommend it to clients seeking more flavor with less sodium. 'I focus on helping people have an enjoyable relationship with healthy food,' says Kathleen Benson, a registered dietitian in El Paso, Texas. 'Umami is key for that satisfaction, and MSG is one of the tools we can use to enhance it.' That practicality has begun to resonate—especially among a new generation of Asian American chefs and recipe developers reclaiming the ingredient their predecessors were once shamed for. Award-winning cookbook author Kat Lieu, known for her Asian-inflected bakes—like a fish sauce chocolate chip cookie spiked with bourbon—uses MSG to temper bold flavors. 'If you have too much fish sauce, it gets very pungent,' she says. 'But then with that dash of MSG, everything just gets elevated. For Calvin Eng, chef-owner of Bonnie's, a Cantonese American restaurant in Brooklyn, MSG isn't just an enhancer—it's a fixture. 'Like salt and sugar, it's something I always have on the counter,' he says. Though Eng grew up with chicken powder, which contains MSG, he didn't start cooking with pure MSG until working in restaurants. Now, he uses it across the board: fries, desserts, even martinis. 'When you have sweet, savory, umami—it just makes things more special and unique.' His debut cookbook, Salt Sugar MSG, puts the ingredient front and center. 'I was afraid my publisher would say it's not marketable,' he recalls, about including MSG in the title. 'But they were cool with it, and it stuck.' For some, embracing MSG also means unlearning inherited stigma. 'I grew up thinking MSG was bad for you,' says Jenn Ko, co-founder of Dime, a playful MSG brand aimed at making the ingredient feel more approachable. 'My family always looked for restaurants that advertised 'No MSG.'' Her turning point came when she saw a friend buying MSG at the market. 'I started digging into the history—how it was vilified, how that one letter started it all.' Ko, Eng, and Lieu are part of a broader wave of Asian Americans embracing MSG—not just as seasoning, but as a proud marker of cultural identity. In 2024, Lieu and Eng signed an open letter written by Ajinomoto urging the New England Journal of Medicine to revisit the term 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' and its role in decades of racialized fear. The journal never responded. For Lieu, much of the stigma around MSG comes down to perception. 'MSG is just three letters, so people assume it's some scary chemical,' she says. 'But if you think about it, all food is made of chemicals. Let's stop with the racist mentality of treating it like a toxin.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Whale Dynamic and Noodoe Partner to Deploy AI-Driven Smart Charging for Fully Autonomous, Zero-Emission Delivery Fleets
Integration aligns self-driving delivery vehicles with next-generation autonomous EV charging management, accelerating the rollout of autonomous logistics across North America. RICHARDSON, Texas, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Whale Dynamic, a leader in Level-4 autonomous delivery vehicles, and Noodoe, global EV charging and energy management software pioneer, today announced their partnership to create the industry's first end-to-end ecosystem that unites self-driving delivery vans with AI-powered charging management for a truly integrated, autonomous delivery solution. Under the partnership, Whale Dynamic's fully electric, driverless delivery vehicles will connect directly to Noodoe EV OS, enabling each vehicle to locate, schedule, pay for, and complete charging sessions autonomously. The companies will jointly pursue pilot deployments, validating an integrated solution that delivers 24/7 zero-emission deliveries with minimal human intervention. The companies are closing the loop between motion and power by linking Whale Dynamic's WDII driver-free last-mile delivery vehicles directly to the AI-driven Noodoe EV OS that autonomously manages charging infrastructure and activities while integrating its holistic single-pane-of-glass fleet management system. "Fully autonomous vehicles demand fully autonomous energy infrastructure," says Jennifer Chang, CEO of Noodoe. "When our AI analytics can tell a robot van exactly where, when, and how to charge, fleet operators finally get a seamless, zero-emission solution that stays profitable and hands-off." "Reliability and efficiency are the heartbeat of autonomous delivery," adds David Chang, Founder and CEO of Whale Dynamic. "Integrating with Noodoe means our vehicles can schedule and manage their own charging and charging schedules, so they leave the depot mission-ready around the clock, exactly what retailers and logistics operators need to scale driver-free delivery in the real world." This partnership lays the groundwork for a new class of autonomous logistics in which vehicles, energy infrastructure, and cloud intelligence will work as a single system. Together, Whale Dynamic and Noodoe will bring autonomous, zero-emission delivery services to market faster and more profitably than ever before. About Whale Dynamic: Whale Dynamic is a leading L4 full-stack autonomous driving company focused on advancing the future of smart mobility and logistics. With deep expertise across perception, planning, control, and system integration, Whale Dynamic delivers fully driverless solutions that operate reliably in geo-fenced environments without human intervention. Its AI-powered platforms combine hardware and software in a unified system, enabling safe, efficient, and scalable deployment across various use cases—from last-mile delivery to campus and logistics scenarios. Whale Dynamic is accelerating the adoption of L4 autonomy, one mission-ready mile at a time. About Noodoe: Noodoe is at the forefront of the EV revolution. Dedicated to facilitating the global transition towards sustainable, autonomous transportation through technical leadership and AI-powered software solutions, Noodoe creates the custom-built EV Operating System (EV OS) that empowers businesses worldwide to seamlessly enter or expand in local EV charging markets. Noodoe EV OS offers comprehensive solutions to many of the industry's stickiest problems, automating and streamlining EV charging operations with cutting-edge reliability and the leading user experience. Committed to continuous innovation, Noodoe sets the bar for intelligent management systems in the EV charging View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Noodoe Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Allogene Therapeutics Inc (ALLO) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strategic Advances Amid ...
Cash and Investments: $335.5 million as of March 31, 2025. Research and Development Expenses: $50.2 million for Q1 2025, including $5 million in non-cash stock-based compensation. General and Administrative Expenses: $15 million for Q1 2025, including $7.1 million in non-cash stock-based compensation. Net Loss: $59.7 million for Q1 2025, or $0.28 per share, including $12.2 million in non-cash stock-based compensation. Cash Burn Guidance: Expected cash burn of approximately $150 million for 2025. Operating Expenses Guidance: Expected full year 2025 GAAP operating expenses of approximately $230 million, including $45 million in non-cash stock-based compensation. Cash Runway: Extended into the second half of 2027. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with ALLO. Release Date: May 13, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Allogene Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:ALLO) has extended its cash runway into the second half of 2027, ensuring financial stability to advance its clinical programs. The ALPHA3 trial is gaining traction with nearly 50 activated US sites and plans for international expansion, indicating strong interest and collaboration from the clinical community. ALLO-316 shows promising efficacy in heavily pre-treated advanced renal cell carcinoma patients, offering hope in a challenging patient population. The company is actively evaluating strategic options for ALLO-316, including potential partnerships, which could enhance its development and commercialization prospects. Allogene Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:ALLO) is making targeted reductions in manufacturing operations to achieve cost savings while maintaining core capabilities, reflecting efficient resource management. The ALPHA3 trial has experienced delays due to site-level staffing shortages and operational constraints, impacting the timeline for lymphodepletion regimen selection and futility analysis. There is uncertainty regarding the conversion rate from consent to randomization in the ALPHA3 trial, which could affect enrollment timelines. The company faces logistical challenges in autoimmune disease trials, requiring collaboration between cell therapists and rheumatologists, which may complicate site activation. The macroeconomic environment and evolving regulatory landscape pose potential risks to Allogene Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:ALLO)'s strategic plans and clinical trial designs. The company has not provided specific guidance on the expected conversion rate from consent to randomization, creating uncertainty about trial progress and timelines. Q: Can you explain the logistical issues affecting the enrollment of the ALPHA3 study and how they are being resolved? Also, does the consent to screening mean patients will definitely enroll in the study? A: David Chang, CEO, explained that the delay in enrollment was due to site-related issues, particularly a lack of personnel to cover the study, causing a three to four-month delay from site activation to patient screening. This has been addressed, and patient consent for screening is now consistent with initial assumptions. Geoffrey Parker, CFO, added that the increase in patient screening activity validates their observations, although not all consented patients will enroll, as they must test positive for MRD to be randomized. Q: Are there differences in site-related factors between community and academic sites for ALPHA3, and what is the probability of an interim EFS readout by the end of next year? A: Zachary Roberts, CMO, noted no significant difference between community and academic sites regarding startup times and screening activity. David Chang mentioned that they are intentionally silent on the timing of the interim EFS readout, but plan to provide more guidance after the lymphodepletion selection and futility analysis in the first half of 2026. Q: Do all sites have sufficient staffing for ALPHA3, and what is the conversion rate from consent to randomization? A: Zachary Roberts stated that sites are generally well-staffed now, although initial setup took time. The conversion rate from consent to randomization is not disclosed, but the process from consent to randomization involves variability due to the timing of MRD testing and logistics. Q: How will the expansion to international sites impact the ALPHA3 study, and are there regulatory implications? A: Zachary Roberts explained that international expansion should not introduce heterogeneity in patient mix, as R-CHOP is the global standard for frontline DLBCL treatment. There are no regulatory implications expected, and the expansion is anticipated to enhance the study's robustness. Q: Given the cautious approach to cash burn, would you consider partnering the ALLO-329 program? A: David Chang expressed openness to partnering the autoimmune program, especially since it is not their core expertise. The timeline for proof of concept data has been extended to the first half of 2026 to include clinical updates, reflecting feedback from investigators and a cautious approach. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Irish Times
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Food & Drink Quiz: Which cut of meat is used in the Italian dish osso buco?
Test your knowledge of all things gastronomic with these 10 questions set by Michelle and Greg Bowe. The Bowes run the Greedy Couple website, where you can find their restaurant and food shopping guides. Which French cheese is traditionally wrapped in chestnut leaves? Reblochon Camembert Banon Comté Barolo famously comes from which wine region? Burgundy Rioja Tuscany Piedmont What is the fruit in Worcestershire sauce? Apple Tamarind Lime Fig What is the sauce traditionally served with Eggs Benedict? Béarnaise Mayonnaise Hollandaise Tomato The restaurant empire Momofuku was founded by chef...? Roy Choi David Chang Eddie Huang Ivan Orkin Which French city gives its name to a style of mustard? Lyon Dijon Marseille Bordeaux Which cut of meat is used for osso buco? Lamb neck Beef ribs Veal shank Pork belly Which cocktail is typically prepared with egg whites? Bloody Mary Negroni Whiskey sour Old Fashioned Traditional soba noodles contain what kind of flour? Rice Buckwheat Wheat Corn Which chef holds the most Michelin stars in history? Alain Ducasse Joël Robuchon Paul Bocuse Anne-Sophie Pic
The Star
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Caviar on nuggets? Elitist no more, caviar is turning casual
When Burger King announced it was selling caviar with nuggets at its French restaurants on April 1, many people assumed it was an April Fool's joke. But as news spread on social media, buyers rushed to try one of the world's most expensive delicacies paired with a humble and highly commoditised piece of deep-fried chicken while limited stocks lasted. For 19 euros (US$22), they got seven nuggets, mayonnaise and a 10-gram (0.35-ounce) pouch of Chinese-origin caviar from the Astana brand, which explained it had worked with the fast-food giant to "make the caviar of chefs available to as many people as possible". It was a marketing coup – the story quickly went viral after being picked up by French news outlets – but it also revealed how the image of caviar as an out-of-reach luxury product is rapidly changing. As with most new food trends, interest in the exclusive fish eggs is being driven by online influencers and celebrities. Rihanna posted a video to her 150 million followers on Instagram on December 20 last year showing her eating nuggets topped with caviar. "I don't like how much I like this," she began. US celebrity chef David Chang is also a champion, with a 2022 Instagram video showing him dunking a deep-fried chicken leg into a one-kilogram tin of caviar – "one of my favourite most obscene things to do" – which racked up more than three million views. He credits New York chef Wylie Dufresne with first adding it to the menu at his influential WD~50 restaurant in the 2010s. Last year, the US Open tennis tournament caused a stir by selling a US$100 box of six nuggets with caviar created by the luxury Manhattan fried chicken restaurant Coqodaq. 'Less formal' Producers and food writers have mixed feelings about the popularisation of the culinary indulgence, which sells for 1,000 to 30,000 euros a kilogram depending on the type. The high prices are due to rarity and the high investment producers make in the sturgeon fish needed for caviar, which start to produce eggs only after eight or 10 years. The most expensive caviar – the one famously preferred by Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor – is the roe of the beluga sturgeon, which takes at least 15 years to mature. Mikael Petrossian, head of the French brand Petrossian, said there was a "demystification" of caviar underway. "Caviar doesn't necessarily have to come in a large tin with silver serving pieces... You can enjoy the product in a much more relaxed way," he said. "I personally like eating caviar with crisps." The founder of French caviar producer Neuvic, Laurent Deverlanges, says his company also aims to make it "less formal". He posted a review of the "King Nugget Caviar" menu online, concluding that "it works, even if you can't really taste the caviar much". But Olivier Cabarrot, the head of the France-based Prunier brand whose caviar restaurant is one of the most famous in the world, pushes back on the idea of it becoming a regular product. "In terms of gastronomy, there is nothing as expensive. It's hard to talk about it becoming 'democratised'," he said. "But we can speak of greater accessibility, achieved through the sale of smaller quantities rather than lower prices." Many distributors including Petrossian and Prunier offer tins of 10, 20 or 30 grams, helping to attract a younger clientele. Dreamy Remi Dechambre, a food journalist at Le Parisien newspaper, said people associated caviar with opulence and refinement less and less. "We've completely moved on from that... Consumption has become a little more common, a little less formal – even though it still makes people dream," he told AFP. But knowing how to enjoy the product properly remains essential, said Francoise Boisseaud, managing director of the supplier Le Comptoir du Caviar. "There's a whole education to be done," she said about the different types – baeri, oscietre, sevruga or beluga – adding that "the richness of the world of caviar is infinite – just like wine". For her, the best way to enjoy it is with a crusty baguette and butter, not with fried chicken or crisps. Robin Panfili, a food journalist who runs the food blog "Entree, Plat, Dessert", said Burger King had pulled off a "marketing trick". "By trying to bring together two worlds that are completely opposed – luxury and fast food – the aim is to shake up the codes, to demystify a product historically seen as luxurious and elitist. It's visual, it's viral, it sparks discussion because it's provocative," he told AFP. — AFP
