white miso
Condiments & Sauces
Is white miso high in glutamates?
Is white miso high or low in glutamates? See its exact rating, how much counts as a portion, and its FODMAP, salicylate, oxalate and diet compatibility in one place.
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Compare white miso across criteria
Sensitivity notes
Why glutamates food checker matters
Glutamates, including MSG, are flavor enhancers found naturally in many foods and added to others. Some people report sensitivity causing headaches, flushing, or other symptoms, though research on 'MSG syndrome' is mixed.
- MSG goes by many names - look for 'glutamate' on labels
- Naturally high in soy sauce, fish sauce, and aged cheeses
- Tomatoes and mushrooms are naturally high in glutamates
- Yeast extract and hydrolyzed proteins contain glutamates
- Fresh, unprocessed foods are generally lower
Sensitivities
What white miso contains
FODMAPs
Histamine & Amines
Plant compounds
Irritants
Additives
Allergens
Diet fit
Where white miso fits
Therapeutic diets
Lifestyle diets
Religious diets
What to know about white miso
White miso, shiro, is the mildest member of the family: a high proportion of rice koji, comparatively little soybean, and a ferment measured in weeks rather than the year or more a dark miso gets. The grades bear out what the pale colour and sweet flavour already suggest. Set against our general miso paste entry, white miso comes out lower on histamine, substantially lower on tyramine, lower on free glutamate, lower on the soy FODMAP and clean rather than moderate on sulfites. Less time and less soy means fewer biogenic amines and less protein broken down into free glutamate. It is also typically the lowest-salt miso, around half the sodium of a dark red one. None of that makes it a blank food. It is still fermented soy, so histamine and galacto-oligosaccharides both land at moderate, and it carries a moderate gluten flag because koji is not always cultured on rice.
Watch for
- Genuinely milder than dark miso on every amine column: our general miso entry grades high for histamine and high for tyramine, while white miso grades moderate and low-moderate respectively, and free glutamate drops from high to low-moderate with it
- Still moderate for histamine, because a short ferment is a ferment.If your histamine threshold is low, moderate stacks with the rest of the meal
- Moderate galacto-oligosaccharides, the soybean FODMAP.A spoonful stirred into a bowl of soup is a small dose. A dressing or marinade built around miso is a much larger one
- Moderate gluten flag.Rice-koji shiro miso is normally free of wheat and barley, but barley koji and wheat-containing misos are both traditional, so the label decides rather than the colour
- Clean on sulfites, nitrites, lactose and dairy protein, so the salty savoury depth arrives without any of those
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Glutamates Guide
Everything you need to know about glutamates sensitivity and smart food choices.
Glutamates, including MSG, are flavor enhancers found naturally in many foods and added to others. Some people report sensitivity causing headaches, flushing, or other symptoms, though research on 'MSG syndrome' is mixed.
Sensitivity varies widely. What triggers one person may be fine for another. Track your reactions to find your personal threshold.
These foods are generally well-tolerated for Glutamates sensitivity:
View all safe options
These foods have moderate levels and may be tolerated in small amounts:
These foods are high in glutamates and may trigger symptoms:
View full list
If you're sensitive to Glutamates, consider these strategies:
- 1MSG goes by many names - look for 'glutamate' on labels
- 2Naturally high in soy sauce, fish sauce, and aged cheeses
- 3Tomatoes and mushrooms are naturally high in glutamates
- 4Yeast extract and hydrolyzed proteins contain glutamates
- 5Fresh, unprocessed foods are generally lower
Pro tip: Keep a food diary to track your reactions. The Triggerbites app makes this easy with automatic pattern detection.
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Get the AppFAQ
Is white miso high in Glutamates?
Glutamates: moderate signal - portion size matters.
Can I still eat white miso if I'm sensitive to Glutamates?
Try smaller portions and space it out.
What else should I check?
Check Soy, AIP, and EoE Compatible next for a fuller picture.