Russ has more to lose than gain if he does not provide honest info, imo. I believe the issue is that flavoring companies are allowed to say diacetyl "free", when there is under a certain percentage of diacetyl. This is common in the food industry. Therefore, vendors will go by the food flavoring companies reports, saying there is "none." However, none only means below the safe limit for food, which is above the so-called safe limit for inhalation. And, the vendors that were claiming "free" showed differently. That tells me that we need to get the flavorings themselves tested. If I could afford it, I would already have sent some in to be tested. In this case, free does not mean free! And, yes, it is the msg of vaping. It makes the liquid taste delicious! Without it, you will notice a huge difference, in my experience.