Chinese-Restaurant Asthma

Abstract

To the Editor: Our committee of physicians and scientists who are involved in glutamate research, read with incredulity the letter by Allen and Baker on Chinese-restaurant asthma (November 5 issue).¹ The authors reported the content of several papers inaccurately. Stevenson and Simon did report induction of asthma by the food additive metabisulfite, but they also described a lack of an asthmatic response to monosodium glutamate (MSG) in their sensitive patients, although low doses were given.² Allen and Baker stated that "many" studies suggest that MSG causes the Chinese-restaurant syndrome, but they cited only two papers.^{3 , 4} Morselli and Garattini wrote, "No . . .