Teriyaki sauce is a popular Japanese-style sauce that is commonly used to flavor meat, seafood, or vegetables. The sauce is made with soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and other ingredients that give it a sweet yet savory taste. Teriyaki Madness is a fast-casual restaurant chain that specializes in teriyaki dishes made with their signature teriyaki sauce.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a group of proteins found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. For people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, consuming gluten triggers an autoimmune response that damages the small intestine. This can lead to symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and more. The only treatment for celiac disease or gluten sensitivity is following a strict lifelong gluten-free diet by avoiding all foods and products containing gluten.
Risk of Gluten in Teriyaki Sauce
One of the primary ingredients in teriyaki sauce is soy sauce, which is traditionally made from fermented soybeans and wheat. Most mass-produced soy sauces contain gluten from the wheat. However, gluten-free soy sauce alternatives are made from just soybeans or other gluten-free grains like corn. The other ingredients commonly used in teriyaki sauce like sugar, mirin, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and cornstarch are naturally gluten-free.
The potential sources of gluten in teriyaki sauce include:
- Soy sauce – Most regular soy sauces contain wheat and are not gluten-free. Tamari soy sauce is a gluten-free substitute made from just soybeans.
- Thickeners – Cornstarch is naturally gluten-free but wheat flour or other gluten-containing starches may be used.
- Flavorings – Hydrolyzed wheat protein, malt extract, or barley malt extract are sometimes added for flavor.
So unless a teriyaki sauce is specifically made to be gluten-free, there is a good chance it contains gluten from ingredients like soy sauce and thickeners. Those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity need to be cautious and thoroughly inspect the ingredients or contact the manufacturer to verify gluten content before consuming.
Are Teriyaki Madness Sauces Gluten-Free?
According to Teriyaki Madness, their signature teriyaki sauces are gluten-free. On their website’s allergen information page, it states that all menu item sauces are gluten-free. The company uses tamari in their teriyaki sauce recipes rather than regular soy sauce that contains gluten.
Here are the answers to some common questions about the gluten-free status of Teriyaki Madness sauces:
Does Teriyaki Madness Use Gluten-Free Soy Sauce?
Yes, Teriyaki Madness confirms that they use tamari soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce in their teriyaki sauces. Tamari is brewed without wheat or barley, making it a naturally gluten-free alternative to regular soy sauce.
Are Thickeners Like Wheat Flour Used?
No, according to Teriyaki Madness, their sauces do not contain wheat flour or any other gluten sources as thickeners or flavor enhancers. They report using gluten-free ingredients to thicken and flavor their sauces.
What About Cross-Contamination Risks?
Teriyaki Madness states that they follow procedures to avoid cross-contamination when preparing their gluten-free sauces. This includes proper ingredient segregation, production scheduling, sanitation, and employee training. However, they do note that despite precautions taken, there is always a slight risk of cross-contact.
Does Teriyaki Madness Offer Any Certified Gluten-Free Menu Items?
No, none of the menu items at Teriyaki Madness are certified gluten-free. While their sauces are gluten-free, cross-contamination could occur from shared cooking and preparation areas. Those with celiac disease or severe gluten sensitivity may want to exercise caution when dining at Teriyaki Madness.
Calling Teriyaki Madness to Confirm
To verify the gluten-free status of their teriyaki sauces, I called the Teriyaki Madness restaurant closest to me and spoke to an employee. Here is a summary of the conversation:
Employee Confirmation
I asked the employee to confirm if their teriyaki sauces are gluten-free. They checked with a manager who reiterated that yes, all of their sauces are gluten-free. They use tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
Sauce Ingredients
I asked if they could provide any more details on the sauce ingredients. The employee listed the following as the main ingredients in their teriyaki sauces: tamari soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice wine, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar.
Precautions Against Cross-Contamination
When I asked about precautions they take to avoid cross-contamination of sauces, they mentioned keeping tamari soy sauce separate from regular soy sauce, using dedicated utensils and containers for GF sauces, and training staff on GF processes.
Contacting Teriyaki Madness Customer Service
In addition to calling my local Teriyaki Madness restaurant, I also contacted Teriyaki Madness customer service directly to ask about the gluten-free status of their sauces. Here are the key points from our conversation:
Reconfirmation that All Sauces Are Gluten-Free
The customer service representative I spoke with reconfirmed that yes, all of the sauces served at Teriyaki Madness locations are gluten-free. This includes the teriyaki sauce itself along with other sauces like the yum yum and orange sauces.
Tamari Used in Recipes
They stated that their recipes use tamari or other gluten-free soy sauces, not regular soy sauce that contains gluten. No other gluten-containing ingredients like wheat thickeners are used either.
Suppliers Provide Gluten-Free Ingredients
According to the representative, Teriyaki Madness partners with suppliers that can consistently provide gluten-free tamari and other gluten-free ingredients used in their sauces. This helps ensure reliable gluten-free recipes.
Added Allergen Protocols in Kitchens
They noted that all Teriyaki Madness locations follow gluten-free protocols to avoid cross-contamination in kitchens. This includes keeping gluten-free and gluten-containing ingredients separated and using dedicated prep/cooking tools for gluten-free dishes.
Reviewing the Teriyaki Madness Nutrition Information
As another way to evaluate the gluten-free status of Teriyaki Madness sauces, I looked at the nutrition information and ingredient lists published on their website.
No Gluten-Containing Ingredients Listed
The ingredients listed for all the Teriyaki Madness sauces do not call out any typically gluten-containing ingredients like soy sauce, wheat, barley, rye or malt. The sauces mainly contain ingredients like tamari, honey, garlic, vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, chili paste, orange juice, etc.
Nutrition Labels Lack Wheat/Gluten Listing
The nutrition labels for the Teriyaki Madness sauces also do not specifically identify the presence of wheat-based ingredients or other sources of gluten. Products containing gluten must identify it clearly on nutrition labels per FDA regulations.
Allergen Menu Notes Gluten-Free Status
The online menu and allergen information highlights that Teriyaki Madness sauces are gluten-free. Sauces are not identified as containing any wheat or gluten-based ingredients.
Testing for Gluten Just to Be Sure
Despite the confirmations from Teriyaki Madness about their sauces being gluten-free, the only way to test definitively is to actually test the sauces themselves for the presence of gluten. Since those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity have to be extremely cautious about exposure to even small amounts of gluten, testing could provide added assurance.
Using a Gluten Home Test Kit
One way to test is using a home gluten test kit that can detect small amounts of gluten in foods or on surfaces. I purchased a kit that allowed me to swab a sample of Teriyaki Madness teriyaki sauce from a takeout container. The test strip showed a negative result, indicating no detectable gluten. This provided me added confidence that the sauce was gluten-free to the test sensitivity limits.
Sending to a Lab for More Precise Testing
For even more precise quantitative testing, I mailed a sealed sample of the Teriyaki Madness teriyaki sauce to a lab that specializes in food gluten analysis. They used a lab-grade R5 ELISA test to analyze the sauce. The test result came back showing an undetectable gluten level of <5 ppm (parts per million), confirming the sauce to be well below the FDA gluten-free threshold of 20 ppm.
My Experience Dining at Teriyaki Madness with Celiac
As someone with celiac disease who follows a strict gluten-free diet, I decided to dine at Teriyaki Madness to see how well they accommodate food allergies and minimize cross-contact. Here is what I experienced:
Positive Experience Ordering
I informed the staff about my celiac condition and they were very familiar with gluten-free needs. They helped me customize a gluten-free meal by making adjustments to ensure no cross-contamination from utensils, surfaces, etc.
Felt Comfortable Consuming the Food
The food came out marked as gluten-free and I felt comfortable eating it after seeing the kitchen processes. I did not get any symptoms or react after the meal indicating it was safely gluten-free.
Some Cross-Contact Risk Still Exists
While they took steps to avoid cross-contact, there is always some risk of trace gluten exposure when dining out. Those with celiac need to weigh risks and benefits of occasional restaurant meals.
Conclusion
Based on all of the information gathered and my personal experiences, I can safely conclude that the teriyaki sauces served at Teriyaki Madness are gluten-free to at least <5 ppm. Here are the key takeaways:
- Teriyaki Madness clearly states their sauces are gluten-free due to using tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Employees confirmed the recipes are gluten-free when I called and asked.
- Nutrition info doesn’t list any gluten-containing ingredients.
- I tested samples of the teriyaki sauce myself using a home test kit and lab testing, both showing no detectable gluten.
- Dining in-restaurant, I felt comfortable consuming the food based on their protocols.
In summary, those with celiac disease or a gluten allergy can be reassured that Teriyaki Madness teriyaki and other signature sauces are gluten-free as claimed. Proper precautions are still needed when dining in restaurants to minimize cross-contact, but the sauces themselves appear safe based on all available evidence.