FAREWELL AROMAT

I was first introduced to Aromat in 2011 on my African overland journey.  We had a cook on our 8 week overland journey and he was marvellous cook, producing these amazing meals from a camp stove each night.  But he did have this magic spice called Aromat.  When I asked my fellow passengers about this wondrous spice, I was told it had been banned in Australia because of its possible ‘health risks’ due to some of the ingredients.  I didn’t see this spice again until I arrived back in Kenya in 2013 when I saw it on the shelves at my local supermarket and I bought the spice and pretty much have used it every day since.  Every time I’ve made myself an egg be it fried, scrambled or boiled I have always finished it off with the indifferent yet very tasty seasoning, AROMAT. I not only used it on my eggs but my potatoes (baked, roasted and fried), chicken, corn, coleslaw and green salad all enjoyed a generous sprinkling of the “secret ingredient”. Heck, I’ve even used it to cook.  It never crossed my mind what Aromat was and the ‘reputation’ it had of not being so great for you re: health.  I mean how bad could it be with it still on the shelves worldwide and after 40 years of studies, nothing conclusive to stop production.  I had a Chef friend who had been telling me for the last 12 months that the spice was a bad, bad product and even if it was the last spice on earth she would not use it, I had to stop mid-sprinkle and think about this as I genuinely did not know just how bad it was, according to the label anyways and then continued to consume.

So what is Aromat?

Aromat is the brand name of a mass-produced general-purpose seasoning produced in Switzerland and South Africa under the brand name Knorr.  It was introduced in 1953 as a 'seasoning mix'.  Upon my return back from my US and Australian trip I was in need of a new supply and was unable to find it anywhere until one of my friends told me that she was certain it had finally been banned in Kenya!!!!!  I didn’t even know that it was on the cards to being banned as I would have bought up a mass supply before the product was withdrawn off the shelves.  I now found myself Aromat-less, SHOCKING.  Luckily, my mate Nikki had a small supply in her pantry and gave me a small bottle citing she doesn’t use it much, so  I am now limiting myself to this small shaker of tasty goodness until I hopefully find a small supermarket somewhere in Nairobi that still has some on its shelves. 

So why has it been recalled?

It depends on what side of the fence you sit.  In a nutshell, there is the opinion that there are long term health effects using Aromat due to the MSG ingredient that is labelled on the product.  MSG has been a dirty word in Australia for nearly a decade.  The official word from the Food Standards Authority (Australia) is that MSG is safe. It is not a banned substance in Australia, nor anywhere else in the world.  MSG is one of the most extensively researched substances in the food supply and has been studied for more than forty years. The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) reviewed the safety of MSG in 2003, concluding 'there is no convincing evidence that MSG is a significant factor in causing systemic reactions resulting in severe illness or mortality.  Numerous international scientific assessments have been conducted, involving hundreds of studies. None of these have conclusively linked MSG to asthma or the infamous 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome'.

Kenya’s stance on the subject is the Ministry of Health issued a directive calling for the withdrawal of Unilever’s Aromat food seasoning from the shop shelves over its genetically modified (GM) content.  The food seasoning’s labelling indicates that its ingredients include salt, maize flour that contains genetically modified material and flavour enhancer, among others.  Kenya has restrictions on GM maize that have locked out major exporters including South Africa from the local market, which faces frequent grain shortages.  The questions were asked why Aromat was being sold while there was a ban on such food products. Kenyans were then consuming GMOs unknowingly and it was improper that the advertisement promoting Aromat failed to clarify or mention that it had GM content and that the product was made from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which were outlawed in 2012 by the government upon global precaution that it is harmful to users’ health.  Following the government’s 2012 GMO ban, the products are not allowed for importation and consumption in this country.

So what the hell is in Aromat?

It is made from the following ingredients:

Salt

Maize Flour

Monosodium Glutamate

TBHQ

Anti- caking agent (E551)

Flavour enhancers ( E631, E627)

Vegetables

Spices

Herbs

Soya lecithin

Garlic

Looking at these ingredients you might think, hey that’s not so bad. But do remember that these are ranked from highest content to lowest content. So let’s see the breakdown of each of the individual ingredients. 

MSG / Monosodium Glutamate- this is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, it has an E number 621(Anything with an E number should be avoided). MSG on its own has no taste until combined with something savoury. It then works as a flavour enhancer to that. Giving your mouth the sensation that scientists have coined umami, your tongue is tricked into believing that it’s eating something delicious. The approved amount of MSG in anything is 1 gram per 100 ml. Symptoms associated with MSG include chest pain, nausea, weakness, numbness and heart palpitations. MSG is also known as an excitotoxin- this basically means that it interferes with the functioning of the endocrine system resulting in the body not being able to monitor itself. The appetite is over excited, resulting in people not wanting to stop eating even though they are satisfied.

Yeast extract- It is used as a food additive to enhance the flavour of food. It contains naturally occurring glutamic acid or Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

Flavourants- Yet another type of additive used to improve the flavour of food. Flavourants have been linked to asthma attacks, gout, hyperactivity and a number of allergies.

TBHQ- This is an anti-oxidant, with the scientific name tertiary butlyhydroquinone, used to increase the shelf life of any product. Antioxidants are good for you in general but this is true in the form of naturally occurring anti-oxidants, ruling this one out.  TBHQ oxidizes and forms tert-butylquione, which is terrible for the liver. Other side effects include vomiting, ringing ears, delirium and a sense of suffocation. 1 gram of TBHQ can cause symptoms ranging from nausea to collapsing while 5 grams can be fatal.  The FDA has an approved a limit of 0.02%, to be added to meals. It seems small enough, but why would you want anything that harmful anywhere near your system?

Anti-caking agent E 551- also known as silicone dioxide, it is used to prevent products from forming lumps and for easy packaging, transporting and consumption. Long term effects of silicone dioxide include renal failure.

Flavour Enhancer E631/627- Scientifically known as Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate. These are salty additives. They are known to cause an itchy rash and in excess amounts can cause an increased heart rate or trigger an anxiety attack.

Soya Lecithin E322- Used as an emulsifier to keep ingredients in a product together. It is extracted from the soya bean using hexane (hexane is toxic to the nervous system). An over exposure has been known to lower an individual’s blood pressure this can result in dizziness and fainting. People with Soya allergies might also want to avoid soya lecithin.

The only thing good in this product is the garlic, but since it’s at the bottom of the ingredients there is not enough to contribute to your health in a positive way.

So there you have it, all you need to know about Aromat. It will always be alluring and make your food taste a tad bit better. So in conclusion Aromat Seasoning is simply a yellow coloured MSG, with little salt, garlic and flavour enhancer (basically like MSG), and according to studies, most likely will make you sick after consumption. But the question you should be asking yourself, is it worth it, sacrificing your health for your taste buds.  I have been consuming the spice for 2 years now and have not had a single side effect, not one, well maybe besides that addiction of it.  So while the 40 years of studies continue, I will still also continue to consume, as I always have.  Well when I can get my hands on it that is.  I have a Swiss mate who is happy to send me supplies, from Switzerland, and so I hopefully get to enjoy my dose of MSG going forward into the future. 

Can some-one please pass me the Aromat!!