Disodium inosinate

Use as a food additive

Disodium inosinate is used as a flavor enhancer, in synergy with monosodium glutamate (MSG) to provide the umami taste. It is often added to foods in conjunction with disodium guanylate; the combination is known as disodium 5′-ribonucleotides.

As a relatively expensive product, disodium inosinate is usually not used independently of glutamic acid; if disodium inosinate is present in a list of ingredients, but MSG does not appear to be, it is possible that glutamic acid is provided as part of another ingredient or is naturally occurring in another ingredient like tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, or yeast extract.

Origin

Inosinate is naturally found in meat and fish at levels of 80–800 mg/100 g. It can also be made by fermentation of sugars such as tapioca starch.

Some sources claim that industrial levels of production are achieved by extraction from animal products, making E631 non-vegetarian.

Toxicology and safety

In the United States, consumption of added 5′-ribonucleotides averages 4 mg per day, compared to 2 g per day of naturally occurring purines. A review of literature by an FDA committee found no evidence of carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, or adverse effects on reproduction.

In 2004, disodium inosinate was proposed to be removed from the food additive list by Codex Alimentarius Commission.{{Cite FTP | last = Codex Alimentarius Commission | author-link = Codex Alimentarius Commission | url-status = dead | access-date = 2 December 2009

References

References

1. {{PubChem. 20819
2. (1998-09-27). "Vegetarian Society - Fact Sheet - E Numbers - Derived from both plant and animal sources, Animal derived carriers". Food-Info.net.
3. "Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate Are All-Vegetable Flavor Enhancers".
4. (2015). "Umami the Fifth Basic Taste: History of Studies on Receptor Mechanisms and Role as a Food Flavor.". BioMed Research International.
5. (1 February 1992). ""Umami": The Fifth Basic Taste". Nutrition & Food Science.
6. "All PepsiCo India food products and their ingredients are 100% vegetarian".
7. Disodium 5′-guanylate and Disodium 5′-inosinate, K. Ekelman and K. C. Raffaele, Additives Evaluation Branch, Division of Health Effects Evaluation, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, [[Food and Drug Administration]], Washington, DC, USA and other
8. "Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives".