There’s nothing soy about some soy sauces on supermarket shelves, according to recent investigations.
Recently, a well-known social media influencer, who is widely recognized for her videos on health topics, caused quite a stir by pointing out that many varieties of a popular condiment actually contain very minimal amounts of the primary ingredient.
Other brands she told viewers, are also packed with hidden sugars, caramels and preservatives, making them hidden ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
Additive-laden foods have long been vilified over their supposed risks, with studies linking them to cancer and heart disease.
Some experts have gone as far as advocating for the elimination of all UPFs from diets. UPFs are essentially food items that consist of a higher proportion of artificial components compared to natural ones.
The umbrella term is used to cover anything edible made with colourings, sweeteners and preservatives that extend shelf life.
In a video that quickly went viral, Helen, a nutrition health coach with a substantial following of 79,000 individuals on Instagram, emphasized that soy sauce ideally should not include any traces of sugar, syrup, caramel, or other additives.
Such products were merely ‘overpriced sugar water’, that should be avoided, she added.
The Irish influencer, @wellnesseffect_ who now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne and runs the wellbeing company The Wellness Effect, visited Tesco to scout out its soy sauce offerings.
Holding up the supermarket own-brand ‘light soy sauce’ bottle to camera, she said: ‘This one from Tesco is only 20 per cent soy sauce extract. The rest is water, salt, three different types of sugar and additives.’
According to its ingredient list published by the retailer online, the 75p product contains sugar, caramelised sugar syrup and potassium sorbate preservative.
‘But, if you’re thinking this is because it’s a cheaper product, you’re wrong,’ she added.
‘The Blue Dragon soy sauce has even less soy sauce extract at nine per cent. The second ingredient is sugar. This is honestly so cheeky.’
Its ingredient list, published online, also shows that it contains sugar, plain caramel and the preservatives potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate.
‘Amoy is basically the same. The best one that I could find was Kikkoman which only contains water, soybeans, wheat and salt,’ she added.
‘Why would you spend money on a product that contains less than 20 per cent of what you’re trying to buy?
She said: ‘Real soy sauce contains antioxidants like isoflavones that can help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.’
‘Soy sauce should not contain sugar, syrup or caramel, never mind the additives that need to be there to preserve the overpriced sugar water.
‘Don’t pay for something that’s sugar water with a bit of extract thrown in. This is ultraprocessed foods in disguise.’
Limited research has suggested that isoflavones, a plant compound in soy products, could prevent the release of chemicals called free radicals, molecules can damage cells and cause them to age faster.
Exposure to high levels of free radicals may also raise the risk of conditions including heart disease, studies say.
However, more research on the topic is still needed.
According to Amoy’s ingredients list available online, its light soy sauce contains plain caramel, the flavour enhancers E631 and E627 and preservative potassium sorbate.
M&S light soy sauce, meanwhile, contains 8 per cent soybeans as well as plain caramel and the preservative E202.
Sainsbury’s 59p light soy sauce also comprises 15 per cent soy sauce, sugar, salt, plain caramel and the preservative potassium sorbate.
By contrast, Kikkoman soy sauce, costing around £3, contains just water, soybeans, wheat and salt.
Social media users praised Helen for raising awareness of the hidden ingredients lurking in soy sauces on supermarket shelves.
‘Never even thought to check the ingredients on soy sauce. My goodness, will try and go with Kikkoman in future!’, one wrote on Instagram.
Another added: ‘Maybe some sugar in soy sauce isn’t the worst thing in the world, but this is NOT fear mongering, it’s revealing the harsh truths of big food mislabelling products for what? PROFIT.’
Soy sauce has been used in Chinese cooking for roughly 1,000 years and is now popular in diverse cuisines for its deep, umami-rich flavour.
However, health experts have repeatedly warned not to consume it in excess given its high sodium content.
Roughly one tablespoon of soy sauce contains around 900mg of sodium — around one-third of your daily salt allowance.
The UK is the worst in Europe for eating UPFs, which make up an estimated 57 per cent of the national diet.
They are thought to be a key driver of obesity, which costs the NHS around £6.5billion a year.
Ready meals, ice cream and tomato ketchup are some of the best-loved examples of products that fall under the umbrella UPF term.
They are different from processed foods, which are altered to make them last longer or enhance their taste, such as cured meat, cheese and fresh bread.
Yet dietitians argue this sweeping judgement wrongly fingers ‘healthy’ options such as fish fingers and baked beans.
