Household Ingredients Compared › Soy Sauce (Singapore)
The short answer is: either four ingredients, or a dozen. A naturally brewed soy sauce is soybeans, wheat, salt and water, fermented over months. Almost everything else on the Singapore shelf starts from a brewed base (or a hydrolysed one) and then adds sugar, caramel colour, flavour enhancers, preservatives and acids — and dark, sweet and low-sodium versions each add their own further ingredients. The front of the bottle rarely tells you which of these you are buying; the ingredient list does, in about five seconds.
This page does not rank soy sauces or pick a "best" one. Light vs dark is not a quality ranking either — light is saltier and thinner for seasoning/dipping, dark is thicker, sweeter and darker for colour and braising. They are different tools, and this page keeps them separate.
| Product | Type | Ingredient list (short form) | Flag | Pack size (as printed) | Country of manufacture (as printed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kikkoman Naturally Brewed | Japanese brewed | Water, Soya Beans, Wheat, Salt | 4 ingredients; FairPrice SG | 600ml | Singapore |
| Kikkoman Gluten Free | Japanese brewed, gluten-free | Water, Soybeans (20%), Rice, Salt | Rice replaces wheat; 3.2% alcohol noted | 250ml | not stated |
| Kikkoman Less Salt | Japanese brewed, low-sodium | Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt, Spirit Vinegar, Ethyl Alcohol, Sugar | Non-SG listing — verify SG pack | 600ml | Singapore |
| Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade | Marinade (soy-based) | Brewed soy sauce + grape juice seasoning, sugar, vinegar, spices | Not a straight soy sauce | 250ml | not stated |
| Tai Hua Light — Standard | Singapore light | Water, Soya Bean, Sugar, Salt, Wheat Flour, Sodium Benzoate | Sugar 2nd; preservative; FairPrice SG | 320ml / 640ml | Singapore |
| Tai Hua Superior Dark | Singapore dark | Water, Soy Bean, Caramel, Sugar, Salt, Wheat Flour, Sodium Benzoate | Caramel 3rd; secondary quote — verify | 640ml | Singapore |
| Kwong Cheong Thye (KCT) Superior Dark | Singapore dark | Water, Soya Bean, Wheat, Caramel (E150a), Salt, Sugar, E621, E211 | Flavour enhancer + preservative; secondary quote | 640ml | Singapore |
| Lee Kum Kee Premium Light | Chinese light | Water, Salt, Soybeans 13%, Sugar, Wheat Flour, E150a, E631/E627, E202 | Non-SG customs sample — verify SG pack | 500ml | China |
| Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark | Chinese dark | Soya Sauce base + Caramel, MSG, Inosinate/Guanylate, Sugar, Potassium Sorbate | Secondary quote of FairPrice page — verify | 500ml | China |
| Lee Kum Kee Gluten Free | Gluten-free | Water, Soybeans, Salt, Sugar, Corn Starch | US listing — verify SG pack | 500ml | China |
| Amoy Dark | Chinese dark | Water, Soy sauce extract 22%, Sugar, Salt, Caramel, Acids, Potassium Sorbate | UK listing — verify SG pack | 150ml | China |
| ABC Kecap Manis | Indonesian sweet soy | Sugar first, Soy extract (soybean ~2%), Colour, Preservative, Acid, Thickener | Sugar-led; not a light soy substitute | 600ml (620ml variant also listed) | Indonesia |
| Nanyang Artisan Premium Light | Singapore artisan light | Non-GMO Soy Beans, Wheat, Salt, Sugar, Caramel, Water | Brand list via secondary quote — verify | not stated | Singapore |
| Spiral Organic Shoyu (Little Farms) | Japanese shoyu, organic | Organic whole soybeans, organic wheat, water, sea salt, koji spores | Naturally fermented; no sugar/additives listed | 250ml | not stated |
| Spiral Organic Tamari — Genuine (Little Farms) | Japanese tamari, organic, wheat-free | Organic whole soybeans, water, sea salt, koji spores, alcohol (~2.6%) | Gluten-free; alcohol as preservative | 250ml | not stated |
| Spiral Tamari — Salt Reduced (Little Farms) | Japanese tamari, salt-reduced | Whole soybeans, water, sea salt, alcohol (~5%) | Alcohol as preservative; not labelled organic on listing checked | 250ml | not stated |
| Kwong Woh Hing Premium Dark | Singapore dark | Soya Bean, Wheat Flour, Salt, Rock Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Caramel, Water, Preservatives | Brand list via secondary quote — verify | 375ml | Singapore |
Prices are deliberately not shown here: they change weekly and would go stale. This site compares ingredients only. Allergens: unless stated gluten-free, every panelled soy sauce here contains soy and wheat/gluten — check the pack allergen statement.
Pack size: 600ml · Made in: Singapore (as printed)
Ingredients (FairPrice): Water, Soya Beans, Wheat, Salt
FairPrice describes it as naturally brewed like fine wine, a traditional process taking months, using only selected ingredients, "totally different from non-brewed soya sauce". Kikkoman's own label-check material states the same four ingredients, fermented/brewed, with no artificial additives, and notes the sauce is Special Grade under the Japanese standard (10g protein per 100ml). The US variant list adds lactic acid and sodium benzoate as a preservative — a market difference worth noting: the FairPrice SG list above has neither, so do not carry the US list onto the SG bottle. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Naturally brewed
Pack size: 250ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)
Ingredients (FairPrice): Water, Soybeans (20%), Rice, Salt — Contains 3.2% Alcohol v/v, from the natural brewing process
The gluten-free trick is visible in the list: rice replaces wheat as the fermentable grain. The 3.2% alcohol is a natural brewing by-product, also noted on the standard Kikkoman OFF listings — it is not added alcohol, but it is stated on the pack and matters for buyers avoiding alcohol. Allergen: soy Gluten-free (rice-based) Naturally brewed
Pack size: 600ml · Made in: Singapore (as printed)
Ingredients (EU/Thai retailer listings): Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt, Spirit Vinegar, Ethyl Alcohol, Sugar
FairPrice lists Kikkoman Soy Sauce — Less Salt, but its ingredient section was not retrieved in this pass, so this panel uses EU (Tesco/ASDA) and Thai (Tops) listings, which agree on the seven ingredients above and on "43% less salt than regular" (EU) / a special fermentation process (Thai). The US Less Sodium variant is different again (Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt, Alcohol, Lactic Acid — no sugar/vinegar listed) — three markets, three lists, one brand name. The SG pack settles which one Singapore sells. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Less salt (brand claim: 43% less, EU listing)
Pack size: 250ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)
Ingredients (FairPrice): Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), Fermented Grape Juice Seasoning (Water, Grape Juice Concentrate, Glucose, Salt), Sugar, Water, Salt, Vinegar, Acidity Regulator (Acetic Acid), Spices, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder
Included because shoppers often shelve it with soy sauce: the first ingredient is itself brewed soy sauce, but the product as sold is a sweetened, spiced marinade with added sugar and grape-juice seasoning. Do not substitute it 1:1 for soy sauce in a recipe without expecting sweetness. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Marinade
Pack size: 320ml / 640ml · Made in: Singapore (as printed)
Ingredients (FairPrice, 320ml and 640ml listings agree): Water, Soya Bean, Sugar, Salt, Wheat Flour, Sodium Benzoate
Singapore's workhorse light soy profile: sugar second (after water), wheat flour rather than whole wheat, and sodium benzoate as preservative. Tai Hua is a Singapore brand; FairPrice also lists Superior, Special, Reduced Salt and Lite variants — those are separate rows and are not assumed to share this list (see seen-but-not-verified). Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Light soy Origin: Singapore (Lite variant listing; Standard origin to confirm)
Pack size: not stated · Made in: Singapore (as printed)
Ingredients (brand page, as quoted in a Singapore forum review): Non-GMO Soy Beans, Wheat, Salt, Sugar, Caramel, Water
Six ingredients, no preservative or flavour enhancer listed — the closest local light soy to the brewed profile on this page, with sugar and caramel still present. Because this list comes via a forum quotation of the brand page rather than a direct FairPrice/brand fetch in this pass, it is flagged and needs a direct brand/pack check before publish. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Light soy
Pack size: 640ml · Made in: Singapore (as printed)
Ingredients (FairPrice page, as quoted in a Singapore forum review): Water, Soy Bean, Caramel, Sugar, Salt, Wheat Flour, Sodium Benzoate
Compared with Tai Hua Light Standard, dark adds caramel in third position and keeps the same sugar/salt/wheat-flour/benzoate structure. The list is quoted from a forum transcription of the FairPrice page (which also gives the product ID), not from a direct FairPrice fetch in this pass — verify on the FairPrice page or pack before publish. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Dark soy
Pack size: 640ml · Made in: Singapore (as printed)
Ingredients (FairPrice page, as quoted in a Singapore forum review): Water, Soya Bean, Wheat, Caramel (E150a), Salt, Sugar, Flavour Enhancer (E621), Sodium Benzoate (E211)
Same dark-soy structure as Tai Hua, plus E621 (monosodium glutamate) as a flavour enhancer. KCT Light (Superior) and KCT Dark (Standard/Chicken Rice) are separate FairPrice listings and are not assumed to share this list. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Dark soy
Pack size: 375ml · Made in: Singapore (as printed)
Ingredients (brand page, as quoted in a Singapore forum review): Top Grade Soya Bean, Wheat Flour, Salt, Rock Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Caramel, Water and Preservatives.
Two sweeteners (rock sugar + glucose syrup) plus caramel — the sweetest dark-soy structure panelled here. "Preservatives" is quoted as a category word, not a named preservative; the pack should be checked for the specific preservative(s) before publish. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Dark soy
Pack size: 500ml · Made in: China (as printed)
Ingredients (FairPrice page, as quoted in a Singapore forum review): Soya Sauce (Water, Salt, Soya Beans, Wheat Flour), Colour (Caramel), Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5'-Inosinate, Disodium 5'-Guanylate), Sugar, Preservative (Potassium Sorbate) — Contains: Soya beans, wheat
The most additive-heavy dark soy panelled here: three flavour enhancers (MSG + inosinate + guanylate, the classic trio) plus caramel colour and potassium sorbate. The list structure (a brewed soya-sauce base, then additives) is itself informative — the base is not the whole product. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Dark soy
Pack size: 150ml · Made in: China (as printed)
Ingredients (UK retailer listing): Water, soy sauce extract (22%, water, SOYBEAN, salt, WHEAT flour), sugar, salt, colour – plain caramel, acidity regulators – lactic acid, citric acid, preservative – potassium sorbate — Contains Soya, Wheat
Amoy (Ajinomoto-licensed brand) dark soy with two acidity regulators — a feature no other dark soy panelled here has. Amoy's range also includes Light, First Press and Reduced Salt variants, none of which are assumed to share this list. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Dark soy
Pack size: 500ml · Made in: China (as printed)
Ingredients (Maldives customs sample, 500ml bottle): Water, salt, soybeans 13%, sugar, wheat flour, colour (E150a), flavour enhancers (E631, E627), preservative (E202)
Open Food Facts for Lee Kum Kee Premium gives a shorter list — Water, salt, soybeans, sugar, wheat flour — without the colour/enhancers/preservative, and a US retail list gives Water, salt, soybeans, sugar, wheat flour, sodium benzoate, disodium inosinate/guanylate. These cannot all be the same bottle's list: either the market/formulation differs or one source is abbreviated. The page therefore quotes the customs sample as the fullest list and flags the conflict, rather than presenting any one list as settled. The Singapore FairPrice "Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce" listings need a direct ingredient-section check to resolve this. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Light soy
Pack size: 500ml · Made in: China (as printed)
Ingredients (US retail listing): Water, soybeans, salt, sugar, corn starch
Corn starch replaces wheat flour as the thickener/brewing adjunct — the same substitution logic as Kikkoman Gluten Free's rice, with a different grain. No preservative or flavour enhancer is listed on this US list, unlike the standard Lee Kum Kee lists above. Allergen: soy Gluten-free
Pack size: 250ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)
Ingredients (Little Farms): Organic whole soybeans, organic wheat, water, sea salt, koji spores.
Little Farms describes Spiral Foods Organic Shoyu as naturally fermented from organic whole soybeans, wheat, natural sea salt, water and koji starter; high in B vitamins, protein, amino acids and enzymes (brand description). Five ingredients, no sugar, no caramel, no flavour enhancer, no preservative listed — the closest panel here to the 4-ingredient Kikkoman profile, with koji spores named as an ingredient rather than only as a process. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten Naturally fermented Organic
Pack size: 250ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)
Ingredients (Little Farms): Organic whole soybeans, water, sea salt, koji spores, alcohol. Approx. +/- 2.6% alcohol added as a preservative.
Made without wheat, so naturally gluten-free (Little Farms listing). Tamari is traditionally the liquid from soybean miso fermentation; this is the wheat-free counterpart to the shoyu above. The alcohol is stated as added as a preservative, unlike Kikkoman's brewing by-product alcohol — a real difference in why alcohol is on the list. Allergen: soy Gluten-free (no wheat) Naturally fermented Organic
Pack size: 250ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)
Ingredients (Little Farms): Whole soybeans, water, sea salt, alcohol. Approx. +/- 5% alcohol added as a preservative.
The salt-reduced tamari: four ingredients, with a higher stated alcohol figure (~5% vs ~2.6% for Genuine) as the preservative. Note the listing checked does not call this one "organic" — whole soybeans, not organic whole soybeans — so it is panelled as printed, not assumed to share the Genuine variant's organic status. Allergen: soy Gluten-free (no wheat) Salt reduced (brand claim)
Pack size: 600ml (620ml variant also listed) · Made in: Indonesia (as printed)
Ingredients (Open Food Facts): Sugar (contains sulphite), soy extract (water, salt, soybean 2.1%, wheat), water, colour (E150a), salt, preservative (E211), acid (E330), thickener (E415) — Allergens: Gluten, Soybeans, Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
Read the numbers: sugar first, and the soy extract itself contains only 2.1% soybean. Another OFF listing for the same product gives Sugar (76%), Water, Salt, Soybean (2.1%), Wheat, Preservative (Sodium Benzoate). Either way, this is a sugar syrup flavoured with soy, thickened with xanthan gum (E415) — it will sweeten and darken a dish in a way light soy never will, and it is not interchangeable with light or dark soy. Indonesian kecap manis is traditionally sweetened with palm sugar (gula jawa); the pack list above says "Sugar", not palm sugar specifically, and the page quotes the pack, not the tradition. Allergen: soy, wheat/gluten, sulphites Sweet soy
Little Farms was checked for soy sauce. Its condiments/sauces range (177 products) includes Spiral Organic Sauce — Soy (200ml), Spiral Organic Sauce — Shoyu (250ml), Spiral Sauce — Tamari (250ml) and Tamari (Salt Reduced), plus a citrus ponzu. Re-audit 5 Nov 2026: verbatim ingredient lists were retrieved from Little Farms for Shoyu, Tamari (Genuine) and Tamari (Salt Reduced) — all three are now panelled above. Spiral Organic Sauce — Soy (200ml) and the citrus ponzu still have no verbatim list retrieved and stay in seen-but-not-verified. No Lee Kum Kee, Kikkoman, Tai Hua or other mainstream soy sauce was found in the Little Farms listings checked; Little Farms' Asian range is organic/import-led, which is itself a useful inventory finding. Little Farms recipes that call for "light/dark soy sauce" or "shoyu" are recipes, not retail products, and are out of scope.
Soy sauce is a salt-led category: sodium is the key column here, and sugars are shown as total sugars as printed — most Singapore packs list total sugars, not added sugars, so a total-sugars figure below is not labelled "added sugar". Salt = sodium × 2.5; sodium is shown as printed and the salt equivalent in brackets. Figures are per 100 ml where the source gives per-100 figures; the Tai Hua row is per serving only, quoted exactly as printed and not converted to per 100 ml. No Nutri-Grade is assigned, and no health score is given.
| Product | Basis | Energy | Protein | Total fat | Saturated fat | Carbohydrate | Sugars | Sodium (salt equiv.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kikkoman Naturally Brewed | Per 100 ml, as sold — Kikkoman Australia official | 377 kJ (90 kcal) | 10.4 g | — | — | 6.7 g | 0.6 g | 6,833 mg (salt 17.1 g) |
| Kikkoman Less Salt — Singapore official | Per 100 ml, as sold — Kikkoman Trading Asia (Singapore) official | 454 kJ | 9.9 g | 0 g | 0 g | 9.1 g | 4.9 g | 3,566 mg (salt 8.9 g) |
| Tai Hua Light — Standard | Per serving (15 ml), not per 100 ml — Singapore Shopee listing (secondary), quoted exactly, not converted | 8.9 kcal | 1.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1.1 g | 0.8 g | 996 mg (salt 2.5 g) |
| ABC Kecap Manis — New Zealand 600 ml listing | Per 100 ml, as sold — New Zealand retail listing (secondary) | 1,790 kJ | — | — | — | 99.2 g | 81 g | 2,130 mg (salt 5.3 g) |
| ABC Kecap Manis — EU 600 ml listing | Per 100 ml, as sold — EU retail listing (secondary) | 1,352 kJ (322 kcal) | 1.7 g | <0.5 g | 0.1 g | 78.5 g | 60 g | 2,160 mg (salt 5.4 g, as printed) |
Conflicts flagged, not silently resolved: ABC Kecap Manis sugars differ sharply by listing — 81 g per 100 ml (New Zealand 600 ml), 60 g per 100 ml (EU 600 ml), and 54 g per 100 g/ml on an Open Food Facts 275 ml listing (salt 3.75 g, i.e. sodium 1,500 mg) — so no single ABC sugars or sodium figure is presented as settled; the Singapore pack settles it. Kikkoman Less Salt also differs by market: Kikkoman Australia gives, per 100 ml, 502 kJ (120 kcal), protein 9.9 g, carbohydrate 9.8 g, sugars 3.8 g and sodium 3,808 mg, vs the Singapore official row above (454 kJ, carbohydrate 9.1 g, sugars 4.9 g, sodium 3,566 mg); the Singapore ingredient list on the SG official page (Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt, Alcohol, Sugar, Acidity Regulator) also differs in wording from the EU/Thai list panelled for ingredients, which is why the SG pack still needs checking. Kikkoman Naturally Brewed has a related variant difference: a larger-pack Australian listing gives 411 kJ (98 kcal), carbohydrate 8.1 g and sugars 1.3 g per 100 ml, vs 377 kJ, 6.7 g and 0.6 g in the row above.
What the numbers say, as numbers only: sodium per 100 ml is 6,833 mg (salt 17.1 g) for Kikkoman Naturally Brewed and 3,566 mg (salt 8.9 g) for Kikkoman Less Salt (Singapore official). Sugars per 100 ml are 0.6 g (Kikkoman Naturally Brewed) and 4.9 g (Kikkoman Less Salt, Singapore official), against 60 g or 81 g for ABC Kecap Manis depending on listing (conflict above). Tai Hua Light Standard, per 15 ml serving only, shows sugars 0.8 g and sodium 996 mg (salt 2.5 g) — a per-serving figure, not comparable to the per-100 ml rows without its serving size being kept in view.
Seen but not verified (nutrition) — do not panel until checked: Kikkoman Gluten Free; Kikkoman Teriyaki Marinade; Spiral Organic Shoyu; Spiral Organic Tamari (Genuine); Spiral Tamari (Salt Reduced); Tai Hua Superior Dark; Kwong Cheong Thye Superior Dark; Kwong Woh Hing Premium Dark; Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark; Amoy Dark; Lee Kum Kee Premium Light; Lee Kum Kee Gluten Free; Nanyang Artisan Premium Light. No nutrition panel was retrieved for these in this pass, and none has been borrowed from another soy sauce.
Checked 5–6 November 2026, re-audited 5 November 2026 from Little Farms product pages (Spiral Shoyu/Tamari lists), FairPrice search/brand listings (Kimlan, Tai Hua Seafood, FairPrice Superior Light, Lee Kum Kee Light Superior) and a Singapore soy guide. Re-audit added 3 panels (Spiral Shoyu, Tamari Genuine, Tamari Salt Reduced); panelled total is now 17 products. Residual gap: Tai Hua/KCT/FairPrice/Tiger variants, Pearl River Bridge, Wan Ja Shan, Amoy Light/First Press/Reduced Salt and Donki Japanese shoyu still have no SG ingredient section retrieved, and Giant/Sheng Siong soy ranges still need an in-store check. Not 100% complete. Original sources: NTUC FairPrice product pages (ingredient sections) for Kikkoman Naturally Brewed, Gluten Free and Teriyaki, and Tai Hua Light Standard; forum transcriptions of FairPrice pages for Tai Hua Superior Dark, KCT Superior Dark, Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark (flagged as secondary); Maldives customs samples and Open Food Facts for Lee Kum Kee Premium Light (conflict flagged); UK/EU/Thai/US retailer listings for Kikkoman Less Salt, Amoy Dark and Lee Kum Kee Gluten Free (flagged as non-SG); Open Food Facts for ABC Kecap Manis; Little Farms condiments range pages (no lists found). Nutrition addition, 5–6 November 2026: figures standardised to per 100 ml where the source gives per-100 figures; per-serving-only figures are quoted exactly as printed and not converted; sugars shown are total sugars as printed, not added sugars, and salt = sodium × 2.5. Full per-fact source list, including nutrition sources, is in the accompanying research notes.