Teriyaki sauce: a tablespoon of sodium on a soy sauce base

We found no study of teriyaki sauce itself, so everything here comes from its base, soy sauce, or from sodium. The standard US soy sauce is made from soy and wheat, so a teriyaki built on it carries two major food allergens and gluten, and only the label of a given brand says whether it does. The strongest of that evidence is a meta-analysis of 16 Chinese trials in which soy sauce fortified with NaFeEDTA iron cut the odds of anemia to a quarter (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.35) in at-risk populations. That was fortified soy sauce, which is not what teriyaki on a US or European shelf is. For most readers the number that matters is sodium. In USDA survey data one tablespoon (16 g) of teriyaki sauce carries about 613 mg of sodium and 2.3 g of sugars, and the reduced-sodium version about 285 mg. Those values are recalculated from 100 g, carry no sample spread, and brands differ widely. In a Japanese regional survey of 503 adults, 86.3% used soy sauce in daily meals, slightly more than used table salt, which says how often and not how much.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• In the USDA survey database, soy sauce is entered as soy sauce made from soy and wheat, and teriyaki sauce is filed with it under soy-based condiments. The teriyaki record itself gives no ingredient breakdown. — Soy sauce, FNDDS 41420300, fdc 2707442; Teriyaki sauce, FNDDS 41420400, fdc 2707445 (n = 2 records) Evidence E source
  The FNDDS soy sauce record is built from soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu); teriyaki sauce sits in the same soy-based condiments category, its own input lists no ingredients
• In USDA survey food data one tablespoon (16 g) of teriyaki sauce carries about 613 mg sodium and 2.3 g sugars, while the reduced-sodium version carries about 285 mg sodium. — USDA FNDDS: Teriyaki sauce (food code 41420400) and Teriyaki sauce, reduced sodium (41420410) Evidence E source
  Regular: sodium 3833 mg/100 g, 613.3 mg per tbsp; total sugars 14.1 g/100 g, 2.3 g per tbsp; reduced sodium: 1778 mg/100 g, 284.5 mg per tbsp

What a real portion looks like

• In a 2014 Japanese regional nutrition survey of 503 adults, 86.3% used soy sauce in daily meals, more than used table salt. — 503 adults aged 20 and over, 2014 Yamanashi Prefecture Nutrition Survey (n = 503) Evidence C source
  Soy sauce 86.3%, salt 84.5%, miso 73.4% of participants in daily meals

What your body absorbs

• In a controlled isotope study, adding Japanese soy sauce to a rice meal raised iron absorption from 3.5% to 11.4%. — human subjects fed soy or rice meals with or without traditionally fermented Japanese soy sauce Evidence C source
  Rice meal iron absorption 11.4% with soy sauce vs 3.5% without (P = 0.0002); soy flour meal 7.2% vs 8.7% (NS)
• In isotope studies with 10 women each, 10 g soy sauce lowered iron absorption from rice meals from 8.5% to 6.0%, the opposite of an earlier finding. — adult women, five absorption studies of 10 women each, rice or rice and vegetable meals with 10 g sauce (n = 50) Evidence B source
  Iron absorption from rice meals 8.5% without vs 6.0% with soy sauce (P < 0.02)

What cooking and storage change

• A meta-analysis with 3185 participants found interventions to use less salt when cooking lowered sodium intake measured by 24-hour urine (Hedges g -1.06). — 13 studies (8 RCTs, 5 protocols), mainly adults; meta-analysis n = 3185 (n = 3185) Evidence A source
  Hedges' g -1.06 (95% CI -1.68 to -0.44) for 24-h urinary sodium

What it does to your health

• A meta-analysis of 16 Chinese RCTs found soy sauce fortified with NaFeEDTA iron cut the odds of anemia to a quarter and raised hemoglobin by 8.8 g/L. — 16 randomized trials in at-risk Chinese populations (12 for hemoglobin) Evidence A source
  Anemia OR 0.25 (95% CI 0.19-0.35); hemoglobin WMD +8.81 g/L (95% CI 5.96-11.67)
• In a 6-week double-blind RCT with 64 Japanese adults, low-sodium soy sauce and miso did not change blood pressure overall but lowered diastolic pressure by a net 6.4 mmHg in those aged 40 and older. — 40 men and 24 women, general Japanese population, 6 weeks (n = 64) Evidence B source
  No significant BP change in whole cohort; diastolic BP net -6.4 mmHg in participants aged 40 and older

Safety, limits and interactions

• Under US law wheat and soybeans are both major food allergens, so a packaged teriyaki or soy sauce made with them must declare wheat and soy on the label. — packaged foods sold in the United States Evidence E source
  Wheat and soybeans are among nine major food allergens; any ingredient derived from wheat must be declared as wheat
• EU food law lists cereals containing gluten, wheat among them, and soybeans as allergens that must be highlighted on labels, and both are in a standard soy sauce. — foods sold in the EU Evidence E source
  Cereals containing gluten, including wheat, and soybeans are listed allergens that must be emphasized on EU labels
• Because gluten is hard to measure after fermentation, US rules let a fermented food such as soy sauce be labeled gluten-free only if the maker can show it was gluten-free before fermentation. — fermented or hydrolyzed foods labeled gluten-free in the United States Evidence E source
  A fermented food may be labeled gluten-free only with records showing it was gluten-free before fermentation; gluten in fermented foods cannot be reliably measured

What people believe that the data does not support

• US labeling rules require a light or lite soy sauce to state which food it is compared with and by what percent its sodium was cut. — 21 CFR 101.56, nutrient content claims for light or lite Evidence E source
  Disclosure rule, no effect size
• The US sodium and hypertension health claim rule defines hypertension as blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg and notes salt is 39% sodium by weight. — 21 CFR 101.74, health claims: sodium and hypertension Evidence E source
  Definitions, no effect size

Who this works differently for

• FDA puts doctor-confirmed wheat allergy at up to 0.3% of US children and 0.5% of adults, and celiac disease at about 0.7%, roughly 2 million people. Celiac disease is triggered by gluten from wheat, rye and barley. — US children and adults; people with celiac disease Evidence E source
  IgE wheat allergy up to 0.3% of children and 0.5% of adults; celiac disease about 0.7% (about 2 million people), triggered by gluten in wheat, rye and barley

What is still unknown

• Laboratory data suggest that standard gluten tests cannot detect gluten in commercial soy sauce and teriyaki sauce, because fermentation breaks it down. The authors say it is still unknown whether the fragments that harm people with celiac disease are all destroyed. — soy sauce during fermentation; commercial soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and Worcestershire sauce Evidence D source
  Gluten not detectable after moromi fermentation or in commercial soy, teriyaki and Worcestershire sauce; whether all immunopathogenic gluten fragments are broken down is unknown

The bottom line

Soy sauce and iron is an open question. In a 1990 controlled study that was not randomized, soy sauce added to a rice meal raised iron absorption from 3.5% to 11.4%. In a 2003 set of studies with 10 women each, 10 g of soy sauce lowered iron absorption from rice meals from 8.5% to 6.0%. The two point in opposite directions, and we found no study that settles which applies. Lower-sodium seasonings have a modest trial record. In a 6-week double-blind trial with 64 Japanese adults, switching to low-sodium soy sauce and miso did not change blood pressure in the group as a whole. In those aged 40 and older diastolic pressure fell by a net 6.4 mmHg, a subgroup finding. A meta-analysis of 13 studies with 3185 participants found that interventions to use less salt when cooking lowered sodium intake measured in 24-hour urine, with a standardized effect (Hedges g -1.06, 95% CI -1.68 to -0.44) that covers salty seasonings in general. Under US rules a soy sauce labeled lite must name the food it is compared with and the percent by which its sodium was cut. Lite means less sodium than the regular version, which is a different thing from low sodium. Who should be careful: if you have been told to cut sodium, count this sauce by the tablespoon. US rules treat sodium and salt as separate figures, and salt is 39% sodium by weight, so the sodium number on a label is smaller than the salt it stands for. The second caution is allergy. In the USDA survey database the standard soy sauce is made from soy and wheat, and teriyaki is filed with it under soy-based condiments, though its own record lists no ingredients and tamari-based or gluten-free versions exist. Under US law wheat and soybeans are both major food allergens and must be declared on packaged food labels. EU law likewise requires cereals containing gluten and soybeans to be highlighted on the label. A restaurant teriyaki carries no label at all. FDA puts doctor-confirmed wheat allergy at up to 0.3 percent of children and 0.5 percent of adults, and celiac disease at about 0.7 percent. For celiac disease the question is open. In laboratory tests, standard gluten assays could not detect gluten in commercial soy sauce or teriyaki sauce after fermentation. The authors say it is still unknown whether all the gluten fragments that harm people with celiac disease are destroyed, and a test that finds nothing is not proof of absence. Because gluten is hard to measure after fermentation, US rules let a fermented food be labeled gluten-free only if the maker can show it was gluten-free before fermentation. Wheat allergy is a separate question from celiac disease, and the fermentation data do not address it. We found nothing on children, pregnancy or medicines for teriyaki sauce.

Sources

1. hf2-tryk-01 · composition data
   Soy sauce, FNDDS 41420300, fdc_id 2707442 · input: SR 16123 Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu) 100.0 g · additional descriptions: shoyu; tamari · WWEIA 8404 Soy-based condiments | Teriyaki sauce, FNDDS 41420400, fdc_id 2707445 · input: SR 6112 Sauce, teriyaki, ready-to-serve 100.0 g · additional descriptions: Asian barbecue sauce; eel sauce · WWEIA 8404 Soy-based condiments · 1 tablespoon 16 g
   USDA FNDDS 2024-10-31, food codes 41420300 and 41420400, FDC 2707442 and 2707445 · checked 2026-10-08
2. tryk-daily-r7-01 · survey food dataset
   Teriyaki sauce | FNDDS code 41420400 | fdc_id 2707445 | Sodium, Na 3833 MG per 100 g | 1 tablespoon 16 g = 613.3 MG | Total Sugars 14.1 G per 100 g | 1 tablespoon = 2.3 G || Teriyaki sauce, reduced sodium | FNDDS code 41420410 | fdc_id 2707446 | Sodium, Na 1778 MG per 100 g | 1 tablespoon 16 g = 284.5 MG
   USDA FNDDS (survey foods) · checked 2026-09-28
3. tryk-daily-r7-07 · cross-sectional
   The proportion of participants who consumed seasonings in daily meals was 86.3 % for soy sauce, 84.5% for salt, 73.4% for miso, and 69.6% for Japanese soup stock granules.
   Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi, 2021 · checked 2026-09-28
4. tryk-daily-r7-02 · controlled clinical trial
   However, soy sauce added to a rice meal instead of soy flour significantly improved the geometric mean iron absorption (13.9 per cent with soy sauce vs. 5.2 per cent with soy flour, P = 0.002) and had a promotory effect on absorption from a rice meal alone (11.4 per cent with soy sauce vs. 3.5 per cent without, P = 0.0002).
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 1990 · checked 2026-09-28
5. tryk-daily-r7-03 · RCT
   Soy sauce inhibited iron absorption from rice-based meals (8.5% without and 6.0% with soy sauce; P < 0.02), whereas fish sauce did not affect iron absorption significantly.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2003 · checked 2026-09-28
6. tryk-daily-r7-06 · meta-analysis
   The performed meta-analysis with data from 3185 participants indicated that interventions to reduce salt usage during cooking showed a significant trend towards reducing sodium intake (Hedges' g, -1.06; 95% CI, -1.68 to -0.44; P < .001).
   Nutr Rev, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
7. tryk-daily-r7-04 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   For anemia rates, data from 16 studies could be pooled, and the pooled estimate odds ratio was 0.25 (95% CI 0.19-0.35). For hemoglobin concentrations, data from 12 studies could be pooled, and the pooled weighted mean difference was 8.81 g/L (95% CI 5.96-11.67).
   Biomed Environ Sci, 2015 · checked 2026-09-28
8. tryk-daily-r7-05 · RCT
   After the 6-week intervention, no significant change in BP was observed in the entire cohort. However, in those aged 40 years and older, 6.4 mmHg net reduction in diastolic BP with no significant change in systolic BP was noted in the low-sodium group.
   Circ J, 2003 · checked 2026-09-28
9. hf2-tryk-02 · agency regulatory notice
   The “major food allergens” are milk, egg, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, soybeans, and sesame, as well as food ingredients that contain protein derived from such foods (with certain exceptions) ... Among the GCGs, wheat is a major food allergen and, thus, any ingredient derived from wheat must also be declared as “wheat” either in the “Contains” statement or in the ingredient list or both
   FDA, Labeling and Preventing Cross-Contact of Gluten for Packaged Foods; Request for Information, Federal Register 2026-01121, 22 January 2026 · checked 2026-10-08
10. hf2-tryk-03 · EU regulation
    SUBSTANCES OR PRODUCTS CAUSING ALLERGIES OR INTOLERANCES 1. Cereals containing gluten, namely: wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut or their hybridised strains, and products thereof, except: ... 6. Soybeans and products thereof, except:
    Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex II · checked 2026-10-08
11. hf2-tryk-04 · regulation
    the manufacturer of such foods bearing the claim must make and keep records regarding the fermented or hydrolyzed food demonstrating adequate assurance that: (i) The food is “gluten-free” in compliance with paragraph (a)(3) of this section before fermentation or hydrolysis;
    21 CFR 101.91, Gluten-free labeling of food (eCFR) · checked 2026-10-08
12. tryk-daily-r7-08 · regulation
    (A) The identity of the reference food and the percent (or fraction) that the sodium was reduced shall be declared in immediate proximity to the most prominent such claim (e.g., 50 percent less sodium than our regular soy sauce); and
    21 CFR 101.56, Nutrient content claims for light or lite · checked 2026-09-28
13. tryk-daily-r7-09 · regulation
    Sodium is specified here as the chemical entity or electrolyte “sodium” and is distinguished from sodium chloride, or salt, which is 39 percent sodium by weight.
    21 CFR 101.74, Health claims: sodium and hypertension · checked 2026-09-28
14. hf2-tryk-06 · agency regulatory notice
    Among the GCGs, self-reported IgE-mediated allergy to wheat with “confirmed” signs or symptoms and doctor diagnosis has a prevalence of up to 0.3% of children and 0.5% of the adult population ... According to the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), an estimated 2 million people (about 0.7%) in the United States have CD (Ref. 4), a chronic inflammatory disorder of the small intestine triggered by the ingestion of certain storage proteins referred to as gluten, occurring in wheat, rye, barley, and crossbreeds of these grains
    FDA, Labeling and Preventing Cross-Contact of Gluten for Packaged Foods; Request for Information, Federal Register 2026-01121, 22 January 2026 · checked 2026-10-08
15. hf2-tryk-05 · laboratory study
    In both cases, gluten was not detected after moromi (brine-based) fermentation, which is the second stage of fermentation. ... Consistent with these results was the observation that ELISA, lateral flow devices, and Western immunoblot analyses were unable to detect gluten in commercial soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Although reports are lacking on problems associated with the consumption of fermented soy-containing sauces by consumers with CD, additional research is needed to determine whether all immunopathogenic elements in gluten are hydrolyzed during soy sauce production.
    Cao W et al., Detection of Gluten during the Fermentation Process To Produce Soy Sauce, J Food Prot 2017 · checked 2026-10-08