Monosodium glutamate vs Sodium chloride: what is the difference?
Sodium chloride tastes salty through its sodium, while monosodium glutamate tastes umami through its glutamate and carries about a third of the sodium.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Each molecule's own drawing, as its page shows it. The common core, 0 of 10 atoms, is too small to align on.
Side by side
| Monosodium glutamate | Sodium chloride | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 169.11 g/molC5H8NNaO4 | 58.44 g/molClNa |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 2 | 0 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists |
|
Also on our processed snacks and soy sauce lists |
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Amino acids | Other |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Food & flavor | Food & flavor |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Carboxylic Acids, Amines | Halogenated |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA, EU CLP Regulation via PubChem | Not recorded | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| Oral LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | Not recorded | 3,000 mg/kgpure sodium chloride, rat, oral |
| A single acute animal measure. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation via PubChem
- Oral LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 23672308 (Monosodium glutamate) and 5234 (Sodium chloride).
In more detail
Both are sodium salts that a cook reaches for, and they trigger different taste receptors. Sodium chloride is read as salty by ion channels responding to the sodium itself; monosodium glutamate is read as umami by a receptor that detects the glutamate half, and the sodium is incidental. MSG carries roughly a third of the sodium of table salt for the same weight, since most of its mass is the glutamate. Glutamate is one of the twenty standard amino acids and is present naturally in tomatoes, parmesan, soy sauce and mushrooms, so the taste is not novel even where the ingredient is. The reported oral LD50 for table salt is 3000 mg/kg in rats, higher than several substances people treat with more caution.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Monosodium glutamate and Sodium chloride?
- Sodium chloride tastes salty through its sodium, while monosodium glutamate tastes umami through its glutamate and carries about a third of the sodium.
- Is Monosodium glutamate bigger than Sodium chloride?
- Monosodium glutamate is the heavier molecule, 169.11 g/mol against 58.44 g/mol for Sodium chloride. Monosodium glutamate is C5H8NNaO4 and Sodium chloride is ClNa.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.