Is Roasted Sesame Dressing & Marinade Gluten Free?

The Ingredient Breakdown

As a food scientist, I look past the marketing on the front label and go straight to the ingredient list on the back. For this Roasted Sesame Dressing & Marinade, the verdict is clear: it contains gluten. Here is exactly why.

The primary culprit is the SOY SAUCE. While soy sauce is a staple in many kitchens, traditional soy sauce is brewed using fermented soybeans and roasted WHEAT. In this product, wheat is explicitly listed as an ingredient within the soy sauce component. For anyone with Celiac disease or a wheat allergy, this makes the product unsafe to consume.

There is also a secondary allergen flag to be aware of. The list includes EGG YOLK. This makes the dressing unsuitable for those with egg allergies or anyone following a strict vegan diet. Additionally, the product uses XANTHAN GUM as a thickener to maintain that creamy texture, which is standard in dressings but worth noting for those with extremely sensitive digestive systems.

Nutritional Value

From a nutritional standpoint, this dressing is a classic example of a calorie-dense condiment. The base is EXPRESSER PRESSED CANOLA OIL and WATER, meaning the primary macronutrient is fat. While canola oil is often marketed as a heart-healthy option due to monounsaturated fats, dressings like this are essentially liquid calories.

The BROWN SUGAR appears fairly high on the ingredient list, indicating a significant added sugar content. This is what gives the dressing its addictive sweet-and-savory profile, but it also spikes the calorie count without providing significant vitamins or minerals. If you are monitoring your sugar intake for weight loss or metabolic health, this dressing would need to be used very sparingly.