Woman thinks she's discovered KFC's secret ingredient

One of the culinary world’s biggest mysteries has been KFC's original chicken recipe, but a woman in New Zealand believes she's cracked the code.

Whether you're hungover or just in need of some greasy goodness, a Family Bucket always goes down a treat.

And let's not forget that it's the most famous fried chicken chain there is, having maintained its place in the market since 1952.

During this time, Colonel Sander’s blend of 11 herbs and spices used to give the chicken its unique flavour has been closely guarded.

But one New Zealand resident reckons she's discovered a secret ingredient that provides its signature finger lickin' good taste.

Unsplash

Taking to the Aotearoa Kai Gatherers Facebook group, the unnamed woman shared a photo of a 'Colonel Sanders' Recipe' KFC seasoning pouch, which says it is 'exclusively for use in the KFC system'.

Facebook

If you take a look at the ingredients list, you'll soon see Monosodium Glutamate, aka MSG along with the famous 'herbs and spices'.

The flavour enhancer has a bad rep following a 1968 letter claiming consumption of MSG found in Chinese food had led to palpitations and numbness.

However, to this day there have been no definite studies ruling the ingredient to be detrimental to human health and currently the FDA considers it to be 'generally recognised as safe'.

Many people still use MSG around the globe due to its ability to improve the taste of food, with the Facebook user stating: "It's like salt on crack."

Much like MSG itself, the idea that it is used in KFC chicken has divided opinion.

As reported by the Daily Star, one person replied to the post: "I'm certain that MSG has never been banned, and all the myths surrounding it (being) bad for you have been disproven."

The outlet went on to point out that KFC's New Zealand site does inform people of its use of MSG in certain regions.

Wikimedia Commons

It says: "Some of our food does contain MSG but rest assured, it's only present at levels that are safe for the general population as deemed by New Zealand Food Standards.

"It's a recognised flavour enhancer that also occurs naturally in foods such as meat, fish, milk, vegetables, fruits and cheese."

As for what the deal is in the UK, a KFC spokesperson told UNILAD: "Our finger lickin’ chicken’s 11 herbs and spices are a famously guarded secret - but we will let you in on the fact that MSG is not one of them in the UK."

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]