I + G (disodium inosinate + disodium guanylate )

Disodium guanylate and MSG are both used to add a meaty or savory flavor to foods. Disodium guanylate is produced by fermentation, usually of tapioca starch, although it can come from other vegetable sources as well. It can be classified under "natural flavors" on a food label, so it isn't always easy to determine if a food contains this additive.

MSG that isn't naturally occurring must be listed as monosodium glutamate on food labels, but that's not the case when it occurs naturally in ingredients like soy protein isolate or hydrolyzed yeast.

Umami synergy involves the relationship between umami-causing glutamate (MSG) and two additional molecules, the nucleotides inosinate (IMP) and guanylate (GMP). IMP and GMP do not cause umami on their own. But when present alongside glutamate, they are capable of amplifying the umami taste fifteen-fold. Not only is the umami taste magnified, it is more sustained and longer lasting, too. This phenomenon, only recently unraveled at the molecular level, plays a role in worldwide cuisine, driving us to combine ingredients rich in glutamate with those rich in IMP and GMP.