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Hi, all.  Some time back I wrote Kikkoman soy sauce to suggest that they add
a wheat- and gluten-free version of their popular soy sauce to their product
line, trying to explain about celiac disease and extreme sensitivity to
gluten.  They returned a letter with this attachment, which sounds like they
really don't understand the difference between a wheat allergy and celiac.
Plus, it REALLY bothers me to hear them tout that tiny quantities of a
substance below a certain amount don't have to be listed on the label.  I'll
probably write them again.  Anyone else want to try as well? -- Claudia
 

Kikkoman Corporation 250 Noda, Noda City

Chiba Pref 278-8601, Japan

Telephone:04-7123-5010

Facsimile:04-7123-5255

February 4, 2005

To whom it may concern"

Re: Evaluation of Kikkoman Soy Sauce in Causing Adverse Reaction to Wheat
and Soybeans

Kikkoman Soy Sauce is produced through a natural brewing process using our
unique microorganisms with wheat and soybeans as the main two starting
materials. Since proteins in these two crops are known to sometimes cause
adverse reactions such as allergic reaction and celiac disease, here we
summarize recent progress in research and governmental regulations to
protect the health of sensitive individuals.

[Protein Content] Given the notion that protein fragments need to be large
enough to possess particular structures for the development of such
reactions, resultant fragments in Japanese Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce would
be too small due to powerful enzymes which break them down into amino acids
and tiny fragments during the brewing process. This assumption has been
partly proved by findings obtained in our R&D division as well as at
third-party institutes, showing that the remaining wheat gluten and its
fragments were below detection limits of the latest widely used detection
methods, some of which are officially recommended as detection methods for
gluten by Codex and the Japanese government (1) (Detection limit: RIDASCREEN
Gliaden kit (r-Biopharm Co.) 1.5 Fg/ml, Gliadin Kit (Morinaga Co.) 0.02
Fg/ml).

[Allergic Reaction] The lack of allergic reactivity of soy sauce was found
by the use of serum from Japanese wheat-allergic patients(2). Further,
thorough studies by university laboratories suggest that soy sauce is a
"Natural Hypoallergenic Food," since no proteins and fragments known to
cause allergic reactions were found using several investigation methods(3).
It is also useful to compare the level of remaining wheat gluten and its
fragments with the notion, stated by the Ministry of health, Labour and
Welfare of the Japanese Government in an "Allergy Labeling System and Food
Sanitation Law" issued on March 21st, 2001(4), that labels of food
containing allergenic protein at no more than Fg/ml level need not list the
ingredient. (emphasis mine)

[Celiac Disease] So far, no physiological data is available to show whether
soy sauce could case Celiac disease. Also, there is no officially approved
or recommended method for its evaluation. However, again, it is helpful to
compare the level of remaining wheat gluten and its fragments with the
provisional value of gluten considered by Codex Alimentarius for foods
rendered gluten free (200 Fg/ml).

Given the above, although soy sauce used soybeans and wheat as basic
ingredients, any soybean protein or wheat gluten found in soy sauce are
below the limits of detection as of the date this is written. However, it is
generally recommended that sensitive individuals consult their physician
about consuming soy sauce.

Shigehiro Kataoka, Ph.D.

General Manager

Quality Assurance Department

Kikkoman Corporation

(1) Upon request, data sheet will be available.

(2) Kibayashi, M., Hashimoto, Y., Taniuchi, S. and Tanabe, S. Degradation of
wheat allergen in Japanese soy sauce. Int. J. Mol. Med. 13:821-827, 2004.

(3) Tsuji, H. Okada, N., Yamanishi, R., Bando, N., Kimoto, M. and Ogawa, T.
Measurement of Gly m Bd 30K, a major soybean allergen, in soybean products
by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Biosci. Biotech. Biochem.
59: 150-151, 1995.

Bando N., Tsuji H., Hiemori M. Yoshizumi K., Yamanasi R., Kimoto M., Ogawa
T. Quantitative analysys of Gly m Bd 28k in soybean products by a sandwich
enzyme-linked immunosorbenbt assay. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. 44: 655-664,
1998.

Ogawa, T., Samoto, M. and Takahashi, K.  Soybean allergen and hypoallergenic
soybean products. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. 46: 271-279, 2000.

(4) http:///mhlw.go.jp/topics/0103/tp0329-2b.html (Japanese)

 


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