As an ingredient, this additive doesn't have the best reputation and Mission Chinese Food is throwing fuel on the fire by offering an MSG option in shaker form. The San Francisco Chinese food chain recently tweeted a picture of their new MSG shakers so people can add it if they choose. This is just one of the latest controversial stunts by the restaurant, who also embarked on a journey to become the most hated restaurant on Yelp and made a number of anti-gluten-free remarks.
Despite a bad rap, there are no proven health effects caused by MSG, which actually occurs naturally in a number of foods. Mission Chinese Food's "authentic" MSG option clearly sides with this point of view.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- MSG Shakers
- Opportunity to capitalize on the controversial reputation of MSG by offering it in shaker form for consumers to add to their meals.
- Controversial Stunts
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for restaurants to generate buzz and attention through controversial actions or remarks.
- Anti-gluten-free Remarks
- Potential for disruptive innovation by catering to consumers who are against the gluten-free trend and prefer traditional ingredients.
Where This Applies
- Food and Beverage
- Opportunity for the food industry to embrace and market controversial ingredients like MSG to cater to specific consumer preferences.
- Restaurant and Hospitality
- Innovation opportunity for restaurants to use controversial stunts as a marketing tactic to generate attention and engage with customers.
- Alternative Diets
- Innovation potential in the alternative diets industry by embracing traditional ingredients and catering to consumers who are not following gluten-free trends.
