Gravy Mix and MSG: The Label Words to Look For

Fact-checked October 2026.

None of the five turkey gravy mix packets we read lists "monosodium glutamate" [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. But all five list at least one ingredient the FDA says naturally contains free glutamate [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7].

The five are Knorr Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix and McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix. Then Pioneer Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix and Kroger Turkey Gravy Mix. The fifth is Simply Organic Roasted Turkey Flavored Gravy Mix. This post shows you the words to look for, so you can read any packet yourself. Whether MSG is bad for you is a different question. Our MSG safety post answers it.

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Does Gravy Mix Have MSG on the Label?

If a food has added MSG, you'll see it. The FDA says foods with added MSG must list it in the ingredients as "monosodium glutamate" [7]. It can't be listed as "spices and flavoring" [7]. Other glutamate salts must be named on the label too. Two examples are monopotassium glutamate and monoammonium glutamate [7].

So we read the five ingredient lists for those words. None of them are there [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. For the record, the FDA considers adding MSG to food to be GRAS, which means "generally recognized as safe" [7].

Stand at the gravy packet rack at the end of the baking aisle. Turn a packet over. When "monosodium glutamate" is there, it's easy to spot. On these five, it isn't.

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Which Ingredients Naturally Contain Glutamate?

Here's the second set of words to know. The FDA says free glutamate and sodium occur together naturally in some ingredients. Its list: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts and protein isolate. They also occur in tomatoes and cheeses. The FDA doesn't make the label say these ingredients have glutamate in them [7].

Now the real label lines.

• Knorr lists Yeast Extract [1].
• McCormick lists Yeast Extract [2].
• Simply Organic lists Organic Yeast Extract. It also lists Organic Yeast Flakes, made with Organic Yeast Autolysate [5].
• Kroger lists Yeast Extract inside its "Natural Flavor" line, as Natural Flavor (Yeast Extract, Natural Flavors, Turkey Broth) [4]. What can go inside "natural flavor" is covered in our natural flavors guide.
• Pioneer lists Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (Corn, Wheat). It also lists Autolyzed Yeast Extract. The FDA's list says "autolyzed yeast" and "yeast extract," not those exact three words [3, 7].

Mix	FDA glutamate-source words on the label	Disodium inosinate and guanylate	MSG statement
Knorr Roasted Turkey	Yeast Extract	Yes	Yes, on the label
McCormick Turkey	Yeast Extract	Yes	Yes, in the Hannaford listing
Pioneer Roasted Turkey	Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (Corn, Wheat); also lists Autolyzed Yeast Extract	Yes	No
Kroger Turkey	Yeast Extract (inside Natural Flavor)	Yes	No
Simply Organic Roasted Turkey	Yeast Extract	No	No

What is yeast extract? Under federal rules, bakers yeast extract is made from yeast cells that have been broken open. The parts that dissolve are concentrated. The yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It may be concentrated or dried [9]. The rules list it as GRAS for use as a flavoring agent and adjuvant, at no more than 5 percent of the food [9]. An adjuvant is a helper.

Why does Pioneer's label say "(Corn, Wheat)" after Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein? Federal rules say the name of a protein hydrolysate must name the food the protein came from. Acceptable names include "hydrolyzed wheat gluten," "hydrolyzed soy protein" and "autolyzed yeast extract." "Hydrolyzed vegetable protein" and "hydrolyzed protein" alone aren't acceptable names, because they don't say the source [8]. That's why you see the source on the label.

One more word on McCormick's label: Torula Yeast [2]. It's not on the FDA's list of ingredients with free glutamate in them [7, 10]. Federal rules allow dried yeast and dried torula yeast, Candida utilis, in food. The limit is on folic acid: 0.04 mg per gram of yeast [10].

Take two packets off the shelf and hold them side by side.

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What Are Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate?

Four of the five packets list them. Knorr lists Disodium Guanylate and Disodium Inosinate [1]. McCormick lists Disodium Inosinate And Disodium Guanylate (Flavor Enhancers) [2]. Pioneer lists Disodium Guanylate And Inosinate (Flavor Enhancers) [3]. Kroger lists Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate in its "Contains 2% or Less of" line [4]. Simply Organic lists neither [5].

What are they for? Federal rules allow disodium guanylate as a flavor enhancer. The limit is the amount needed [11]. Disodium inosinate is allowed as a flavoring adjuvant [12]. The same two showed up in our stuffing mix comparison.

Kroger's packet has a few more words worth knowing. Its Chicken Fat Powder lists BHA, Propyl Gallate and "Citric Added to Improve Stability" [4]. Its Cream Solids list "BHA to Protect Color" [4]. Propyl gallate is used as an antioxidant. Under good manufacturing practice, total antioxidants are no more than 0.02 percent of the food's fat or oil content [13]. What FDA has said about BHA is in our stuffing mix post. Kroger's Caramel Color lists "Sodium Sulfite to Protect Color" [4]. Knorr's Caramel Color says "(Contains Sulfites)" [1]. Sodium sulfite is GRAS under good manufacturing practice. That means using only as much as the job needs. It isn't used in meats, in foods that are a source of vitamin B1, or on fruits and vegetables sold raw or as fresh [14].

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What Does "No Added MSG, Except Naturally Occurring Glutamates" Mean?

Two of the five carry a line about MSG. Knorr's label says "Our Promise: No added MSG." and then "Except those naturally occurring glutamates." [1]. McCormick's Hannaford listing says "Made without added MSG (except those naturally occurring glutamates), or artificial flavors" [2]. That line is in the store's product description. The listing doesn't show whether it's printed on the packet.

Here's the FDA's rule on this. The FDA says foods with ingredients that naturally contain free glutamate can't say "No MSG" or "No added MSG" on the package [7]. Both Knorr and McCormick list yeast extract [1, 2]. Yeast extract is on the FDA's list of ingredients with free glutamate in them [7]. Both say no added MSG, or made without added MSG. Both follow it with "except those naturally occurring glutamates" [1, 2]. We're putting the two facts side by side. We haven't checked how the FDA treats the "except" wording.

Pioneer, Kroger and Simply Organic make no MSG statement at all [3, 4, 5].

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How Much Sodium Is in a Serving of Gravy?

Now the Nutrition Facts panel. First, how big is a serving? Each one works out to about 1/4 cup of prepared gravy. Kroger says it plainly: 2 tsp of dry mix makes 1/4 cup prepared [4]. Knorr makes 1 1/4 cups in 5 servings, and 1 1/4 divided by 5 is 1/4 cup [1]. Pioneer makes 2 cups in 8 servings, and 2 divided by 8 is 1/4 cup [3]. McCormick makes 1 cup in 4 servings, so 1/4 cup each [2]. Simply Organic makes 4 servings from 1 cup of water, so about 1/4 cup each [5, 6].

Here's sodium per serving, low to high [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:

• Pioneer: 260 mg, 11% of the Daily Value
• Knorr: 290 mg, 13%
• Simply Organic: 300 mg, 13%
• Kroger: 350 mg, 15%
• McCormick: 370 mg, 16%

The Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg a day. The FDA says 5% of the Daily Value or less per serving is low, and 20% or more is high [15]. All five sit between those lines. None is low, and none is high.

Which numbers are for dry mix? Knorr's listing says "Per 1 Tbsp Dry Mix," and Kroger's says "2 tsp dry mix (6g)" [1, 4]. McCormick's serving says "2 TSP MIX" [2]. Pioneer and Simply Organic just give the serving size. But their directions add only water [2, 3, 5, 6]. Since only water is added, the sodium number is the same either way.

What about the whole packet? Multiply the serving by the number of servings [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]:

• McCormick: 370 × 4 = 1,480 mg
• Knorr: 290 × 5 = 1,450 mg
• Kroger: 350 × 4 = 1,400 mg
• Simply Organic: 300 × 4 = 1,200 mg
• Pioneer: 260 × 8 = 2,080 mg. It makes 2 cups, twice as much as McCormick, Kroger and Simply Organic.

Those totals are for gravy made with water only. These numbers don't count pan drippings. McCormick's listings suggest a "Homestyle" option of 1/4 cup pan drippings plus 3/4 cup water [2].

Now the stovetop, while the turkey rests. The packet goes into the pan with its water. A quarter-cup ladle holds one serving. The sodium is already in the pan before the drippings go in.

So here's your three-step label check. One, look for "monosodium glutamate." Two, look for the FDA's glutamate words: yeast extract, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy extracts, protein isolate. Three, check the sodium line and the serving size.

We read the other Thanksgiving side dishes the same way, starting with canned cranberry sauce. To check a packet in the aisle, scan it with the free app.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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References

1. Giant Food. Knorr Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix, 1.2 oz packet (product listing). https://giantfood.com/groceries/product/knorr-roasted-turkey-gravy-mix-packet-1-2-oz-pkt/42126
2. Hannaford. McCormick Turkey Gravy Mix, 0.87 oz packet (product listing). https://hannaford.com/groceries/product/mccormick-turkey-gravy-mix-packet-0-87-oz-pkt/7534. Also listed by Giant Food: https://giantfood.com/groceries/product/mccormick-turkey-gravy-mix-packet-0-87-oz-pkt/7534
3. Hannaford. Pioneer Roasted Turkey Gravy Mix, 1.41 oz packet (product listing). https://hannaford.com/groceries/product/pioneer-roasted-turkey-gravy-mix-packet-1-41-oz-pkt/361907
4. City Market. Kroger Turkey Gravy Mix, 0.87 oz packet (product listing). https://www.citymarket.com/p/turkey-gravy-mix-kroger-0-87-oz/0001111071975
5. Kroger. Simply Organic Roasted Turkey Flavored Gravy Mix, 0.85 oz packet (product listing). https://www.kroger.com/p/simply-organic-roasted-turkey-gravy-mix/0008983618545
6. Simply Organic. Roasted Turkey Flavored Gravy Mix product page (directions). https://www.simplyorganic.com/simply-organic-turkey-flavored-gravy-mix-0-85-oz
7. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Questions and Answers on Monosodium Glutamate (MSG). Content current as of July 17, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/questions-and-answers-monosodium-glutamate-msg
8. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 102.22, Protein hydrolysates. Current as of October 1, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-102.22
9. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 184.1983, Bakers yeast extract. Current as of October 1, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-184.1983
10. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 172.896, Dried yeasts. Current as of October 1, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-172.896
11. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 172.530, Disodium guanylate. Current as of October 1, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-172.530
12. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 172.535, Disodium inosinate. Current as of October 1, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-172.535
13. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 184.1660, Propyl gallate. Current as of October 1, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-184.1660
14. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 182.3798, Sodium sulfite. Current as of October 1, 2026. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-182.3798
15. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sodium in Your Diet. Content current as of March 5, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet