Ve-Tsin or monosodium glutamate, known briefly as 'M.S.G', is derived from vegetable sources and, in appearance, resembles fine salt. Its purpose is to accentuate or enhance the flavor of foods, especially proteins, to which it is added. It is something of a 'magical' material which has become an important ingredient in innumerable packaged and canned foods. While it is of comparatively recent use in this county, it has been known to the Chinese and Japanese for hundreds of years, its original source being seaweed. In the early part of the present country occidental chemists were able to extract monosodium glutamate from various vegetable proteins. It is available under various proprietary names such as 'Accent' (made in U.S.A), 'Aji No.Moto' (made in Japan ), 'Mei Yen' (made by the spice Islands Company of California ) and 'Stress' (made in Great Britain ). Ve-Tsin is the proprietary name of M.S.G. (made in Hong Kong ).