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MSG is a flavor enhancer. It adds a savory character and can also help with boosting flavor in low sodium recipes. I think it makes a huge difference in some recipes, less so in others. Foods naturally high in savory notes that are well salted to personal taste don't seem to benefit as much from it. The savory thing isn't so much a flavor as a perception. It gives some foods that mouthwatering "more please" character without standing out as an individual flavor. I don't know of any application where it's used as a curing agent. To the best of my knowledge, it wouldn't function in that role even if you wanted it to. Not at any usage level that I'm familiar with anyway.