Accent seasoning is a well-known flavor enhancer for food. But recent eating trends result in people seeking healthier alternatives to this product. So how does Seasoning salt compare as an alternative to Accent seasoning?
Accent seasoning is the same as seasoning salt but includes the controversial ingredient MSG. Other seasoning salts may also contain MSG, but some manufacturers leave this ingredient out. If you are looking for an MSG-free alternative, you need to read the ingredient list on the product label.
Accent seasoning and seasoning salt are both used to season a variety of foods. For example, many people use these products to season soups, stews, or even meat on the BBQ.
Which of these products are better, and can you use seasoning salt as an alternative for Accent seasoning?
What Is The Difference Between Accent Seasoning And Seasoning Salt?
To understand whether seasoning salt is the same as Accent seasoning and whether the two products are interchangeable. We first must understand a little about these two seasonings.
There are some general public concerns around Accent seasoning. Which is why many people look for an alternative seasoning to use on their barbeque or smoked meat.
What Is In Accent Seasoning?
Accent seasoning is a brand name of a seasoning spice used on several foods to enhance the flavor. Accent seasoning is essentially seasoning salt since it includes salt and several other spices in its ingredient list.
However, the product also includes MSG as a critical ingredient in the seasoning to add additional flavor. MSG appears as small salt or sugar-like granules that impart a savory, meaty flavor to some foods.
There has been some negative media coverage about health issues attributed to the use of MSG. Raising public concern regarding the ingredient.
Accent seasoning has ingredients other than MSG that provide a rich, meaty, savory flavor to many foods.
However, MSG is a naturally occurring compound commonly found in tomatoes and cheese. Therefore, the FDA in the US has deemed MSG, and by extension, Accent seasoning, safe for human consumption.
The FDA has sanctioned the use of MSG as a food flavoring additive, given the designation E621. If you see the E621 designation in the ingredients list for a food product, this is MSG.
Even though the FDA has cleared Accent seasoning as safe. The negative publicity and the hints that MSG may be a contributing factor to allergies, headaches, or even purported to be carcinogenic has raised public concern.
There is no scientific evidence whether there is any truth to the health concerns regarding MSG or using Accent seasoning or not.
However, the publicity in this regard, and the general public opinion that any product with an “E” code is not healthy, leads most people to seek alternative flavorings.
MSG is also used in several other foods as a flavoring, including often used in soups, stews, stocks, or savory seasonings to be sprinkled over some vegetables. In addition, it is the main ingredient in stock cubes that are frequently used to make gravy.
What Is In Seasoning Salt?
Seasoning salt is another seasoning method marketed by various suppliers, but what does this product contain, and how does it compare to Accent seasoning?
If your main reason for looking for an alternative to Accent seasoning is to avoid MSG, you will need to read the ingredients of seasoning salts.
Many seasoning salts are made from regular salt, a mix of herbs and spices, and may also include MSG as an ingredient.
The ingredients of seasoning salt vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, which means that some will contain E621 or MSG, while others will avoid including this ingredient.
There are two major brands of seasoning salt or seasoned salt in the USA. These are Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and Morton’s Season-All.
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt does not list MSG or E621 in the ingredient list and can safely be used as an alternative for Accent seasoning for those looking for an MSG-free alternative.
Morton’s Season-All is another savory seasoning salt product that is totally free of MSG and imparts a rich, savory flavor, but with the addition of a little heat from the inclusion of chili in the ingredients.
How Does The Flavor Differ Between Seasoning Salt And Accent Seasoning?
This question is difficult to provide a definitive answer for since there are many seasoning salts with various ingredients, each imparting its unique flavor to the seasoning.
Accent seasoning includes salt, MSG, chili pepper, garlic, onion paprika, cumin, and oregano amount other ingredients. To find a similar seasoned salt flavor to Accent seasoning would require matching a seasoning salt product with ingredients similar to the Accent product but without the MSG.
From our investigations, Morton’s Season-All is a reasonably close match with the ingredients and would impart a similar flavor to the food as Accent seasoning.
Accent seasoning may be beneficial from a health perspective for people who suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension since the product has 60% less salt than other seasoning salts.
Make Your Own Seasoning Salt
If you are looking for an MSG-free alternative seasoning salt, the best option is to make your own. This way, you know all the ingredients used in the product, and you can tailor the flavor to your taste!
Try this recipe for making your very own homemade seasoning spice. The ingredients can be tweaked to create your personal twist to get the flavors you want.
The ingredients include the following.
- 6 Tablespoons of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon hot mustard powder
- 2 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
Place all the dry ingredients in a spice grinder or small blender and pulse until all the ingredients are of a uniform size. This helps the same quantity of ingredients in a measure when using the seasoning to get the right flavor profile.
If you want to reduce the salt content of the seasoning, you can increase the celery salt component and decrease the salt component.
Store your homemade seasoning salt in an airtight container and fill a small shaker with some seasoning salt to use in your daily cooking or on the table.
Final Word
Accent seasoning is a seasoning salt. But it contains MSG as a flavoring ingredient, which some people do not like to include in their diet. Other seasoning salts can also include MSG in their ingredients, but some are MSG-free.
The best way to find an MSG-free seasoning salt is to read the product’s ingredient list to make sure it is not included.
An alternative option that many prefer is to make your own homemade seasoning salt. It will enable you to get the spicy, savory flavoring you need!
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Resources
https://www.mccormick.com/en/lawrys/flavors/spice-blends/seasoned-salt
https://www.mortonsalt.com/home-production/morton-season-all-seasoned-salt/
https://allergeninside.com/foods/ingredients/024600017565/Morton-Season-All-Seasoned-Salt