Is Teriyaki Sauce Ultra Processed?
Not Typically Ultra-Processed
Most commercial teriyaki sauce is highly processed (Level 3). While traditional teriyaki is simply soy sauce, mirin, and sugar reduced by cooking, bottled versions contain corn syrup, modified food starch, caramel color, sodium benzoate, and xanthan gum to create a thick, shelf-stable product.
Key Findings
- •Traditional teriyaki is a cooking technique using 3 ingredients (soy sauce, mirin, sugar), not a thick bottled sauce
- •Modified food starch and xanthan gum give commercial teriyaki its thick, pourable consistency — real teriyaki is naturally thin
- •Making teriyaki sauce at home takes 5 minutes: simmer soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until slightly thickened
Why Is Teriyaki Sauce Level 3?
Traditional Japanese teriyaki is not a sauce at all — it is a cooking technique where protein is glazed with a mixture of soy sauce, mirin (rice wine), and sugar during grilling, creating a lacquered finish. The liquid component has just 3 ingredients. Commercial bottled teriyaki sauce reinterprets this as a thick, pourable condiment: soy sauce provides the base, but corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup replaces mirin and sugar (cheaper, thicker), modified corn starch and xanthan gum create the characteristic thick consistency, caramel color deepens the appearance, and sodium benzoate preserves it for months of shelf life. Some brands add pineapple juice concentrate, garlic powder, and onion powder. Kikkoman's teriyaki marinade is simpler than many competitors but still includes corn syrup and sodium benzoate.
Teriyaki Sauce Processing Level Distribution
How 994 teriyaki sauce products break down by processing level:
Average ingredient count: 23.0 · Average nutrition score: 3.7/10
Teriyaki Sauce Brand Comparison
Comparing the least to most processed teriyaki sauce products in our database:
| Product | Brand | Level | Score | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seedless Sesame Teriyaki Sauce, Sesame | Mikee | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 10 |
| Sweet Ginger Teriyaki Sauce, Sweet Ginger Teriyaki | 3 Dragons | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 8 |
| Spicy Ginger Teriyaki Sauce, Spicy Ginger Teriyaki | 3 Dragons | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 9 |
| Seedless Sesame Teriyaki Sauce, Sesame | Mikee | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 10 |
| Teriyaki Sauce | Coconut Secret | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 6 |
| Teriyaki Sauce | Coconut Secret | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 6 |
| Teriyaki Sauce | Coconut Secret | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 6 |
| Seedless Sesame Teriyaki Sauce | Mikee | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 10 |
| The Original Teriyaki Sauce | Coconut Secret | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 6 |
| The Original Teriyaki Sauce | Coconut Secret | Processing Level: 2 out of 4 - Processed | 4.0 | 6 |
How to Read Teriyaki Sauce Labels
- 1
Traditional teriyaki needs only soy sauce, mirin, and sugar — 3 ingredients you can mix at home
- 2
Corn syrup or HFCS replacing mirin is a cost-driven substitution in most commercial brands
- 3
Modified food starch and xanthan gum create artificial thickness — real teriyaki is a thin glaze
- 4
Caramel color is cosmetic — it darkens the sauce beyond what natural reduction would produce
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kikkoman teriyaki sauce ultra-processed?
Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce is Level 3. It contains naturally brewed soy sauce, wine, high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, and sodium benzoate. It is simpler than many competitors but still uses HFCS and preservatives.
How do you make teriyaki sauce at home?
Combine equal parts soy sauce and mirin with a tablespoon of sugar. Simmer until slightly thickened (2-3 minutes). This Level 2 sauce uses 3 ingredients and takes less time than driving to the store.
What makes bottled teriyaki sauce so thick?
Modified corn starch and xanthan gum. Traditional teriyaki is a thin glaze that thickens only through reduction during cooking. Bottled versions use industrial thickeners to create a pre-thickened product that consumers expect.