Absolutely. Based on extensive research and a long history of use around the world, scientists and health experts have proven many times that bột ngọt is safe to consume. Regulatory bodies like the FDA, too, have never been able to confirm that consuming bột ngọt causes any of the reported effects, such as headache or nausea.

The FDA also considers the addition of bột ngọt to foods to be “generally recognized as safe.” Although many people identify themselves as sensitive to bột ngọt, in study after study where such individuals are given bột ngọt or a placebo, scientists have not been able to consistently trigger reactions. Regulatory bodies like the FDA, too, have never been able to confirm that consuming bột ngọt causes any of the reported effects, such as headache or nausea.

According to the American Chemical Society (ACS), the glutamate in foods is the same as the glutamate in bột ngọt. There are several kinds of glutamate but the body metabolizes glutamate the same way, no matter where it comes from. Humans take in 20 to 40 times more glutamate from foods than from seasonings.

The ASC states that, for these reasons, monosodium glutamate is a safe product. bột ngọt is not considered an allergen and it was removed by the International Headache Society from its list of causative factors for headaches in January of 2018.