Marukan Answers
Does Marukan Rice Vinegar (Seasoned Gourmet and Genuine Brewed) contain any allergens?
Peanuts, tree nuts, egg, cow’s milk, wheat, soybean, fish, and shellfish account for 90% of food allergies in the U.S. These allergen ingredients are required to be labeled on food products when they are present as an ingredient. Our Rice Vinegar does not contain any of these allergens. To clarify: our facility is peanut/nut free. No presence of nuts and no risk of any nut cross contamination.
Are there any allergens present in the Marukan Manufacturing Facilities?
Our Ponzu Marinades contain Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce. Therefore the only allergen present is the Soy in the Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce.
Does the Rice Vinegar share a production line with the Ponzu?
Yes, the production line is shared. However we follow a stringent allergen control program to eliminate any cross contamination.
Are there any added sulfites in any of your products?
There are no added sulfites in any of our products. However Rice Vinegar can contain naturally occurring sulfites. Our Rice Vinegar is a high quality vinegar made from rice which is grown in the USA. Soil can contain sulfur/sulfites so it is not uncommon for it to be found in our raw rice ingredient. Moreover, the fermentation process used to create our Rice Vinegar has the potential to increase these naturally occurring sulfites.
Do any Marukan products contain animal ingredients?
Marukan products do not contain any animal ingredients, nor are they processed with compounds which would be considered derived from animals. However, one of our processing agents is cultivated with lactose, which is milk-derived. While there is no lactose in our product, nor is it contained in any processing agents which contacts our vinegar at any point in the work in process stage, we will not claim our products as vegan until this processing agent is changed to a different processing agent without any contact with lactose. The search for a vegan certified alternative to this processing agent and subsequent product testing is ongoing. We anticipate all of our products becoming vegan certified in the near future. For the time being, many vegan consumers enjoy and even endorse our products because they do not believe this compromises their vegan diet. However this is an individual choice.
Are your Rice Vinegars and Ponzus certified as Non-GMO?
Yes. All of our consumer products are verified as Non-GMO by the Non-GMO project.
Are your Rice Vinegars and Ponzus Kosher?
Yes. All of our consumer products are certified by Star K Kosher.