<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Yikes! I completely forgot to post my summary on Miso, so here it is... Most people weren't too sure about it, but thought it wasn't safe, or said something to the effect of "It depends on the miso," but I got some informative answers, too: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- I don't think that all miso soup is safe. However, I know that edward and Sons brand instant miso soup is safe. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Miso is not safe. Many miso formulations contain barley (as well as rice) and I suspect if you search you will also find some containing wheat. In detail, miso is made from at least soy, aspergillus ("koji") spores, and salt. The koji culture may be maintained in either rice or barley, and if the latter, it would a source of contaimination. But more importantly, miso often does have other grain ingredients such as barley. Not all brands do, so you need to research the sources. See http://www.cjn.or.jp/hatchomiso/index-j.html for a brand that definitely contains barley. See http://www.takeya-miso.co.jp/e- takeya.html for another that apparently does not. See also this page: http://www.fuchu.or.jp/~kanemitu/what'smiso.htm which shows a varienty of misos, some with barley, some without. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- So, there you have it - there are several safe brands of miso, but we should not blindly trust it in restaurants like I had been doing, since the barley fermentation is apparently the favorite. But we can buy it in stores, and if we can establish a rapport with a local restaurant, we can find out which they use, and whether it's safe. -Meredith _______________ Meredith Johnson