The government has decided to file a review petition against a 2018 Supreme Court (SC) decision banning monosodium glutamate (MSG), commonly known as Chinese salt in Pakistan.

The federal cabinet took the decision to file a review on the recommendation of the Ministry of Commerce, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Monday.

“The decision has been taken based on the report of a special committee of experts formed under the directives of the PMO to evaluate the effects of monosodium glutamate (Ajinomoto) on human health.

“The committee has declared monosodium glutamate safe for human consumption in its report,” the statement read.

1500 bags of banned Chinese Salt recovered from Karachi

In 2018, the Supreme Court ordered a ban on the sale, import, and export of monosodium glutamate, declaring it hazardous for health.

The decision was taken after findings of a scientific panel of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) that Chinese salt could cause headaches, fatigue, palpitations, nausea and vomiting, sweating, flushing and numbness of the face, more so among people who are sensitive to it.

However, the committee formed under the PMO has now declared monosodium glutamate safe for human consumption.

Members of the committee included representatives from the Pakistan Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, National Agriculture Research Center, National University of Sciences and Technology, Institute of Food and Nutritional Sciences, the Federal Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, and the Board of Investment.