Updated at 8:08 p.m.
A company that makes the food additive monosodium glutamate (MSG) is aiming a social media campaign at Springfield, Massachusetts-based dictionary Merriam-Webster.
MSG maker Ajinomoto signed on celebrities Eddie Huang and Jeannie Mai to make a video on Twitter criticizing a Merriam-Webster definition for "Chinese restaurant syndrome."
The term is defined as a "group of symptoms (such as as numbness of the neck, arms, and back with headache, dizziness, and palpitations) that is held to affect susceptible persons eating food and especially Chinese food heavily seasoned with monosodium glutamate."
The celebrities say the definition is racist.
"They might as well just call it 'Oriental Restaurant Syndrome,'" Huang says in the video.
"You know what gives me a headache?" Mai says to the camera. "Racism."
"Chinese Restaurant Syndrome?" NAH, chill Merriam. Retweet this and ask @merriamwebster to #RedefineCRS. More info here: https://t.co/8XPCypEUdb #AjinomotoPartner pic.twitter.com/P7pNtd7cx7
— Eddie Huang (@MrEddieHuang) January 14, 2020
It's true that through the years, studies have confirmed MSG is "generally recognized as safe."
In a response on Twitter, Merriam-Webster said it "will be reviewing" the entry for "Chinese restaurant syndrome," "and revis[e] accordingly."
Eddie, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’re constantly in the process of updating as usage and attitudes evolve, so we’re grateful when readers can point us toward a definition that needs attention. We will be reviewing the term and revising accordingly.
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 14, 2020
An editor for Merriam-Webster, Emily Brewster, told The New York Times the dictionary’s job is to “record the language” that is in use.
“Were we to ignore certain words on the grounds that they are offensive, we would be negligent in our duty as lexicographers,” Brewster said. “That said, we certainly aim to be mindful of the inevitable shifts in language, and we regularly update both definitions and usage labels to reflect changes.”
Labels sometimes accompany definitions, saying a term is outdated or offensive.
While this campaign is aimed at Merriam-Webster, other dictionaries have similar definitions, including the Collins English Dictionary and Random House.
