Expansive food recall leaves consumers asking: What is HVP?

Before this week most Americans never gave much thought to hydrolyzed vegetable protein. But when the Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that certain lots of the common flavor enhancer were contaminated with salmonella, HVP suddenly popped on the food safety radar.

What is hydrolyzed vegetable protein? Like monosodium glutamate, it is a salty and savory flavor enhancer used in thousands of processed foods such as "soups, sauces, chilis, stews, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, gravies, seasoned snack foods, dips and dressings," according to the FDA.Has anyone gotten sick from the contaminated HVP? No illnesses connected to the product have been reported.