And for all I know, maybe this is what 'tingletech' meant, but I figured I'd give him the benefit of doubt. I also gave this benefit to the Chef in the piece until I read her comment on the commenters, where for me at least she 'removed all doubt'.

But agree with you completely on the conclusion: if you are allergic to MSG, there's a lot else you should be avoiding. It's wild how many traditional 'seasonings' like Parmesan, fish sauce, ketchup, and kombu are effective because of naturally occurring glutamate/inosinate/guanylates.