There are quite a few vegan-friendly snacks in Japan; you just need to know what to look for. For example, most Soyjoy bars (except for the two certified vegan flavors and the Soyjoy Crispy), while sounding promising, are not vegan as they contain egg and butter.
There are very often non-vegan ingredients added to snacks such as:
• dairy products/乳製品/nyūseihin
• gelatin/ゼラチン/zerachin
Where vegans also have to be careful is in relation to additives like:
• emulsifier (乳化剤 – nyūkazai)
• flavoring (香料 – kōryō)
So which snacks are vegan?
Some of the best vegan snacks are the simple ones. In addition to the usual dried fruit (some containing sugar) and nuts, you can find roasted chestnuts and dried sweet potato in many supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan. Below are some examples of simple vegan snacks available in Japan.
• Gourmet Roasted Peeled Chestnut. Ingredients: Organic chestnuts.
Here are a couple of other examples of organic roasted chestnuts available in Japan:
• Katsumata Dried Soy Beans. Ingredients: Soy beans (domestic) (non-genetically modified).
Manufactured in a facility that also makes products containing egg, milk, shrimp and crab.
These organically cultivated sweet potato sticks from Lawson are very filling. Photos taken in May 2021.
• Dried Sweet Potato Sticks/有機栽培の干し芋スティック.Ingredients: Organically cultivated sweet potato (satsumaimo).
There are also many other snacks available in Japanese stores that may be vegan. Some of the products below have ingredients where the source is not clear such as flavorings or emulsifiers. Let’s look at some examples of products you may be able to find.
•Ajigen Black Sesame Roasted Soybean Flour Snack/味原 黒ごまきな粉スナック. Ingredients: Brown rice, white sesame, wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, corn, black sesame, kinako roasted soybean flour (soybean: not genetically modified), salt/calcium carbonate, antioxidant (vitamin E).
Photo from website.
Auga vegan oatmeals are instant oatmeal cups that could be eaten as a snack. They can be found in some natural foods stores.
Online purchase link: Bio Floresta
Banana Joe Banana Chips are sold in Daiso. The website states that they are vegan.
Photos from website.
• Banana Joe Banana Chips Hickory BBQ.
• Banana Joe Banana Chips Sea Salt.
• Banana Joe Banana Chips Thai Sweet Chili.
The following sweet potato sticks were found at a branch of Lawson convenience store in April 2021.
• Calbee Annou Imo Stick/カルビー 安納芋スティック. Ingredients: Sweet potatoes (100% Anno Imo potatoes from Kagoshima Prefecture), vegetable oil.
Manufactured using shared equipment with items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
Calbee Miino and Calbee Miino W are the same product; just the Miino W is a double-sized pack.
• Calbee Miino/カルビー ミーノ. Ingredients: Broad beans, vegetable oil, salt/antioxidant (vitamin C).
Manufactured using shared equipment with items containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and crab.
Photo taken in June 2021 in a branch of Family Mart convenience store.
The following plain halva from Turkey was spotted at a branch of Gyomu Sūpā in February 2021.
• Doğtat Plain Halva/ハルヴァ プレーン. Ingredients: Sesame paste, sugar, glucose syrup, Saponaria officialis extract/emulsifier, ph adjuster, flavoring.
Ezaki Glico pudding, per thepress release, is made without animal ingredients. It’s been reported that customer service stated that the sugars are not bone char processed and that the product contains palm oil. Glico does not do animal experiments for its food products. They do animal testing when required by law for medical items. Their statement in Japanese regarding animal testing is:
グリコの動物実験 食品については行っていない。 同社にて取り扱いの業務用の医療用素材については 法律が必要とする場合に行っている。
Be sure to get the one marked “Plant-based Pudding” on the top of the package as the others have non-vegan ingredients in them.
• Ezaki Glico Born From Plants Big Pucchin Pudding/植物生まれのBigプッチンプリン.Ingredients: Soymilk (domestically produced), sugar, starch syrup, vegetable oil, roasted sugar, almond paste, salt, agar/thickening agent (polysaccharide thickener), flavoring, emulsifier, pH adjusting agent, carotenoid pigment, caramel pigment.
Product contains soybeans and almonds.
Photo taken in a branch of Family Mart in June 2021.
House Petit Fruiche instant dessert mix is a powder that’s meant to be mixed with cow’s milk to make a pudding, but it can be mixed with non-dairy milk instead. It’s sold in 100-yen shops nationwide.
• House Petit Fruiche, Blueberry/プチフルーチェ ＜ブルーベリー＞．Ingredients: Sugar, blueberry, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, salt/gelling agent (pectin), pH adjusting agent, flavoring, calcium lactate.
Out of the 27 specified allergens, product includes apple.
• House Petit Fruiche, Mixed Orange/プチフルーチェ ＜ミックスオレンジ＞. Ingredients: Mandarin flesh preserved in syrup, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, concentrated orange juice, fructose, salt/gelling agent (pectin), pH adjusting agent, acidulant, flavoring, carotene pigment.
Out of the 27 specified allergens, product includes orange and apple.
• House Petit Fruiche, Peach/House プチフルーチェ ＜ピーチ＞. Ingredients: White peaches preserved in syrup, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, salt/gelling agent (pectin), pH adjusting agent, acidulant, antioxidant (vitamin C), flavoring, calcium lactate, Monascus Purpureus pigment.
Out of the 27 specified allergens, product includes peach and apple.
• House Petit Fruiche, Strawberry/プチフルーチェ ＜イチゴ＞. Ingredients: Strawberry (sweetened), sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, salt/gelling agent (pectin), pH adjusting agent, flavoring, coloring (gardenia, Monascus purpureus), calcium lactate.
Product contains apple.
Photo from website.
Imo kenpi is a traditional Japanese snack. According to Wikipedia, “They are strips of candied sweet potato, resembling french fries in appearance, but are hard and sugary sweet in taste. Now, in Japan, almost all super markets and convenience stores sell kenpi of their own brands.”
The following product was found in the 100 yen aisle of a supermarket.
• Imo kenpi／芋けんぴ. Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, vegetable oils and fats (rice oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil), sugar.
Uses domestically produced Kogane-sengan sweet potato, often used in sake brewing.
The following product may be vegan, depending on what the hydrolyzed protein is made out of. It’s stick-shaped snacks that include 7 kinds of vegetables. Photos taken in May 2021.
Update- as of April 2024 it was reported by someone who contacted Calbee customer service about their own-branded version of this product that it contains “cow extracts,“ although the customer service representative would not say in which part of the ingredients they are in. Since this seems to be a rebranded version of the same product, it seems likely it is not vegan either.
• Lawson Calbee Sapporo Light Texture Vegetable Sticks/カルビー サッポロポテトつぶつぶベジタブル. Ingredients: Wheat, vegetable oil, potatoes (not genetically modified), potato starch, dehydrated potatoes, corn starch, sugar, spinach, salt, top-grade rice flour made from non-glutinous rice, carrot, bell pepper, pumpkin powder, tomato paste, onion powder, red bell pepper paste, red beet powder, hydrolyzed protein/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), trehalose, pH adjusting agent, sweetener (licorice), antioxidant (vitamin E).
Product contains wheat.
Manufactured on common equipment as items containing shrimp, crab, egg, and dairy.
• Lotus Biscoff Biscuit Spread. Ingredients (from VeganEssentials.com): “Biscoff 57% (wheat flour, non-bone char sugar, vegetable oils [contains one or more of soybean, sunflower, canola or palm], soy flour, non-bone char brown sugar, leavening [sodium bicarbonate], salt, cinnamon), canola oil, non-bone char sugar, soy lecithin, citric acid.”
Made in Belgium.
The crunchy version shown below was spotted in Kaldi and Aeon as of February 2021.
It may have palm oil even though it’s not marked on the label- although the packaging of the version on Vegan Essentials (containing palm oil) looks different, it’s entirely possible that it’s the same recipe, just in different packaging for Japan, and that the ingredient list appears different due only to local labeling laws.
• Lotus Biscoff Crunchy Spread. Ingredients: Caramel biscuits (wheat, sugar, vegetable oil, sugar syrup, soybean powder, salt, cinnamon), vegetable oil, sugar/emulsifier, acidulant, leavening agent.
Product contains wheat and soy.
Made in Belgium.
As of December 2020, certified vegan MadeGood Granola Minis have been found in Costco and Bio C’ Bon.
• MadeGood Granola Minis.
Online purchase links: Bio c’ Bon (Apple Cinnamon), Bio c’ Bon (Chocolate Banana)
MD Crunchy Fried Beni Shōga snacks may be vegan. However, the source of the protein hydrolyzate is not specified as being of plant or animal origin, and the ingredient list also says その他/sono ta, other. It isn’t possible to confirm if it’s vegan or not without contacting the manufacturer.
• MD サクサク紅しょうが揚げ/MD Crunchy Fried Beni Shōga. Ingredients: Wheat flour, corn starch, vegetable oil (contains soybeans), ginger seasoning (ginger powder, salt, protein hydrolyzate, other), sugar, salt, ginger powder/modified starch, leavening agent, coloring (red mold-Monascus purpureus), seasoning (amino acids, etc.), spice extract, sweetener (sucralose), tricalcium phosphate.
•Mujirushi Ryouhin Mixed Nuts Salt Flavor, 30 grams /無印良品ミックスナッツ 塩味. Ingredients: Giant corn (Peru), cashew nuts (India), almonds (U.S.A.), vegetable oil, salt, black pepper.
Processed on the same equipment as items contianing wheat, dairy, and peanuts.
Also available in a larger, 340 gram package.
•Mujirushi Ryouhin Mixed Nuts Salt Flavor, 340 grams/無印良品ミックスナッツ 塩味. Ingredients: Cashew nuts (India), almonds (U.S.A.), giant corn (Peru), vegetable oil, salt, black pepper.
Product contains cashews.
Processed on the same equipment as items containing wheat, eggs, dairy, and peanuts.
Natural Taste Products make a number of products aimed at people with allergies. Some may be incidentally vegan.
Monaka are wafer cakes filled with bean jam. The package of Mixed Monaka states three flavors are included, adzuki bean paste, salted, and sesame.
• Natural Taste Products Mixed Monaka/自然味良品 ミックス最中. Ingredients: Raw bean paste, starch syrup, sugar, glutinous rice flour, adzuki beans, starch, sesame paste, salt, sorbitol, processed starch, preservative (potassium sorbate).
The following product is called an umebachi, which is a family crest of a stylized plum blossom from the top. However, plum doesn’t appear anywhere on the ingredient list.
The package states it’s a rustic confection that consists of karintō dough wrapped in candy. From Wikipedia: “Karintō is a traditional Japanese snack food. Sweet and deep-fried, it is made primarily of flour, yeast, and brown sugar. It has a deep brown and pitted appearance, and takes the form of a bite-sized pillow or short cylinder.”
• Natural Taste Products Umebachi/自然味良品 梅鉢. Ingredients: Flour, sugar, vegetable oil (rice oil, rapeseed oil), starch syrup, yeast.
• Otsuka Soy Carat, Olive Oil and Garlic. Ingredients: Soy flour (non-genetically-modified), starch, powdered olive oil, brewed seasonings, garlic flakes, dietary fiber (inulin), protein hydrolysate, dextrin, yeast extract, powdered sesame oil, vegetable powder, sugar, salt, spices, lemon balm extract, processed starch, flavoring, antioxidant (vitamin C, vitamin E), acidulant, liquid smoke, sweetener (stevia). (May contain milk products.)
The “may contain milk products” line may be a cross-contamination warning that small particles of dairy may be present, but it isn’t clear.
As Otsuka is a pharmaceutical company, they surely do animal testing, but it isn’t clear if this product was developed using animal testing.
From the Otsuka website: “SoyCarat is a snack food made mainly of whole soy.*
Each packet of SoyCarat is made with approximately 50 soybeans.
SoyCarat provides the nutrition of soy with the enjoyment of a fun rattling sound when shaken. Calories have been kept down to approximately 120 kcal per bag as the snack is baked, not fried.
- Excluding the thin peel.”
The two vegan flavors of Soyjoy are certified vegan by VegeProject Japan. They both say “plant-based” on the label. One is White Chocolate & Lemon and the other is Banana.
Photo taken in March 2022.
Soyjoy Crispy, according to the manufacturer’s website, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, are “nutritional foods made with whole soybean flour, fruits and nuts, containing no wheat. They offer a smart and delicious way to enjoy the nutritional goodness of soy, including vegetable protein, soy isoflavones, and dietary fiber.”
These products can be found at many convenience stores and drugstores across Japan.
Soyjoy Crispy contain sugar that is confirmed to have been whitened using the bone char processing method.
As Otsuka Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical company, they surely do animal testing for their pharmaceutical products, but we don’t have information on if animal testing was used to make these products.
Soyjoy Crispy comes in three flavors, banana, mixed berry, and white macadamia (contains non-dairy white chocolate made of soy).
Regular Soyjoy (not Soyjoy crispy) contain egg and butter, except for the two certified vegan flavors. Be sure to check that the package says “crispy” in English, as otherwise the packaging is virtually identical.
Soyjoy Crispy is manufactured on the same equipment as items containing egg, milk and peanuts.
More information can be found on theEnglish-languageOtsuka Pharmaceuticals website.
• Otsuka Pharmaceuticals Soyjoy Crispy, Banana/大塚製薬 ソイジョイ クリスピー バナナ. Ingredients: Soy flour (non genetically modified), margarine, puffed soy (soy protein, tapioca starch), processed banana, banana puree, processed pineapple, non-digestible dextrin, sugar, agave syrup, salt/sorbitol, flavoring.
• Otsuka Pharmaceuticals Soyjoy Crispy, Mixed Berry/大塚製薬 ソイジョイ クリスピー ミックスベリー. Soy flour (Japan-processed, non genetically modified), margarine, puffed soy (soy protein, tapioca starch), sugar, processed cranberry, processed raspberry, non-digestible dextrin, processed strawberry, salt/flavoring.
•Otsuka Pharmaceuticals Soyjoy Crispy, White Macadamia/大塚製薬 ソイジョイ クリスピー ホワイトマカデミア. Ingredients: Soy flour (Japan-processed, non genetically modified), margarine, puffed soy (soy protein, tapioca starch), soymilk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, soy powder, other), sugar, non-digestible dextrin, macadamia nut, soy protein, salt/flavoring.
Purabon protein balls can be found at some upscale stores, especially in large cities, and vegan festivals. The following photo was taken at Loft in Kyoto. The display says “Vegan, gluten & dairy free, no added sugar, 14% protein, all natural, source of fibre” in English.
•Purabon Protein Balls/Purabon プロテインボール, Hazelnut Cacao. Ingredients: Dates,hazelnuts, peanuts, organic riceprotein, organiccacao, organic coconut, organic rice puffs and sea salt.
•Purabon Protein Balls/Purabon プロテインボール, Salted Caramel. Ingredients: Dates, cashews, organic rice protein, organic coconut, organic rice puffs, natural flavor and sea salt.
•Purabon Protein Balls/Purabon プロテインボール, Peanut Butter. Ingredients: Dates, peanuts, organicriceprotein, organiccoconut, andsea salt.
Lawson convenience stores sell soy-sauce flavored crackers mixed with peanuts. It is confirmed to use sugar that has not been whitened using the bone char method and amino acids from plants, however, since the time of confirmation, the packaging has been changed. Photos taken in May 2021.
•Cubic Rice Crackers and Peanuts/粒もちピーナッツ. Ingredients: Peanuts (peanuts (China), vegetable oil, salt), tsubumochi (starch, rice (America), sugar, soy sauce (includes wheat・soybeans), dextrin, garlic powder, fermented seasoning, red chili pepper)/processed starch, colorant (caramel, paprika coloring, Monascus purpurea coloring, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), spice extract.
Product includes wheat, peanuts, and soybeans.
Products containing egg, dairy, and shrimp are processed on shared equipment.
TheseRawSugarTasteMixedNutshave NaturalLawson branding on the package. Contains 3.9 g of dietary fiber in one bag. Photos taken in May 2021 in a branch of Lawson convenience store.
•RawSugarTasteMixedNuts/黒糖ナッツ&ナッツ アーモンド・くるみ.Ingredients: Kokuto almonds (almonds (America), processed kokuto, kuromitsu, salt), kokuto walnuts(walnuts (America), processed kokuto, kuromitsu, salt).
Product contains almonds and walnuts.
Processed in the same facilities as products containing peanuts, wheat, dairy, and shrimp.
The photos of the Walnuts covered in Soybean Flour were taken in a branch of Lawson convenience store in May 2021.
• Walnuts covered in Soybean Flour. Ingredients: Walnuts (domestic), sugar, roasted soybean flour, starch syrup, processed sugar product, salt.
Product contains walnuts and soybeans.
Products containing peanuts, wheat, dairy, and shrimp are handled in the same factory.
Nabisco Ritz crackers are reported to contain palm oil by the blog Sushi Voyage. They’re made in Indonesia.
• Ritz Crackers. Ingredients: Wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, malt extract/leavening agent, emulsifier, antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C).
Product contains wheat and soybeans.
Products containing dairy are manufactured in the same factory.
Photos taken in July 2021 in a branch of Lawson convenience store.
• Ritz Crackers, Black Pepper. Ingredients: Wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, salt, black pepper, maltodextrin, glucose, onion powder, yeast extract/leavening agent, emulsifier, flavoring, acidulant, antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C).
Product contains wheat and soybeans.
Products containing dairy are manufactured in the same factory.
Photos taken in July 2021 in a branch of Lawson convenience store.
• Ritz Chocolate Sandwich Crackers/リッツ チョコサンド. Ingredients: Wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, cocoa powder, high-fructose corn syrup, salt, corn starch/leavening agent, emulsifier, flavoring, antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C).
Product contains wheat and soybeans.
Products containing dairy are manufactured in the same factory.
Photos taken in July 2021 in a branch of Lawson convenience store.
• Ritz Vanilla Sandwich Crackers/リッツ バニラサンド. Ingredients: Wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, salt, corn starch/leavening agent, emulsifier, flavoring, antioxidant (vitamin E, vitamin C).
Product contains wheat and soybeans.
Photo from website.
Ritz Cheese Sandwich crackers/リッツチーズサンド are not vegan as they contain whey, cheese and butter.
Tom & Luke Snackaballs occasionally turn up in nicer stores or can be ordered online. They are marked gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan in English on the package.
• Tom & Luke Snackaballs Chocolate Original Dark. Ingredients: Dates (58%), Cocoa Solids (25%) (Cacoa Mass, Cocoa Powder), Almonds (10%), Desiccated Coconut (7.4%), Natural Vanilla Flavour, Sea Salt (.8%)
• Tom & Luke Snackaballs Chocolate Dark Mint. Ingredients: Dates (57%), Cocoa Solids (25%) (Cacoa Mass, Cocoa Powder), Almonds (10%), Desiccated Coconut, Peppermint Oil (.2%), Sea Salt.
• Tom & Luke Snackaballs Chocolate Dark Orange. Ingredients: Dates (51%), Cocoa Solids (25%) (Cacoa Mass, Cocoa Powder), Almonds (10%), Desiccated Coconut (7.4%), Concentrated Orange Juice (3.6%), Orange Zest (2.4%), Natural Orange Flavour (.3%), Sea Salt.
UHA Mikakuto Happy Dates bars may have been replaced by the very similar Vegan Bars, which are from the same company, as there isn’t much space on the UHA Mikakuto website dedicated to the Happy Dates bars as of April 2021 so there’s a possibility they are being phased out altogether.
• UHA Mikakuto Happy Dates Chocolate Brownie/HAPPY デーツ チョコブラウニー味. Ingredients: Dates, cacao mass, jaggery, roasted almonds, cocoa powder, concentrated date fruit juice, salt (salt from Miyakojima).
Contains none of the 27 allergens.
Chocolate brownie-flavored bars with dates as the main ingredient. Milk, egg, wheat, refined sugar-free. Sweet with the flavor of roasted almonds. Uses salt from an island in Okinawa. The taste is quite chocolatey.
• UHA Mikakuto Happy Dates Fruit Granola/HAPPY デーツ フルーツグラノーラ味. Ingredients: Dates, jaggery, cacao mass, granola (oats, brown rice puffs, rye flakes, isomaltooligosaccharide, malt extract, molasses), rice puffs, concentrated fruit juice (dates, raspberries), strawberries, chia seeds.
Contains none of the 27 allergens.
Chia seeds, strawberries, and granola are all included in this date-based bar.
• UHA Mikakuto Happy Dates Rum Raisin/HAPPY デーツ ラムレーズン味. Ingredients: Dates, jaggery, coconut, raisins, cacao mass, rum, concentrated date juice.
Contains none of the 27 allergens.
Rum is included in this date-based bar, making it a sweet treat for adults.
The UHA Mikakuto Vegan Cacao Bars are from the same company as the Happy Dates bars and feature similar flavors, but with more stripped-down ingredient lists.
•UHA Mikakuto Vegan Cacao Bar/UHA ビーガンカカオばー．The flavors are rum raisin/ラムレーズン, fruit granola/フルーツグラノーラ and roasted almond/ローストアーモンド.
Rum raisin/ラムレーズン. Ingredients: Date paste (dates (from Iran)), jaggery, cacao mass, coconut, raisins, cocoa powder, rum.
Contains none of the specified allergens.
Fruit granola/フルーツグラノーラ. Ingredients: Date paste (dates (from Iran)), cacao mass, jaggery, barley granola (barley, kokuto syrup, rice oil), rice puffs, cocoa powder, concentrated raspberry juice, chia seeds, strawberry.
Contains none of the specified allergens.
Roasted almond/ローストアーモンド. Ingredients: Date paste (dates (from Iran)), cacao mass, jaggery, almonds, cocoa powder, salt (sea salt from Miyakojima)
Product contains almonds.
These Veganz granola bites (Chocolate Banana and Coconut Almond) were found April 2021 in a branch of NewDays convenience store (the ones attached to JR East train stations). Biople by Cosme Kitchen also has these as of April 2021. You can use them as a topping (for example, on non-dairy yogurt) or just eat as-is.
• Veganz granola bites, Chocolate Banana and Coconut Almond.
In February 2021 these were seen in some branches of NewDays convenience store and also in National Azabu, which had them listed as vegan. They’ve also been reported to be sold at some branches of Natural Lawson convenience stores (not regular Lawson). The website states they are plant-based. The company’s customer service, when asked if the bars were vegan (free of animal ingredients and excluding cross-contamination), replied “yes our products are plant-based and free of dairy, egg, shellfish etc. – which includes all flavours of bars + beverages. Our probiotic is also vegan.”
• Welo Probiotic Bars, Coconut Cashew and Matcha Almond.
Coconut Cashew flavor: Ingredients (From English ingredient list on the label): Gluten-free oats, brown rice syrup, brown rice crisps, natural cashew butter, vegetable glycerine, chicory root fibre, coconut chips, natural vanilla flavour, natural coconut flavour, probiotic cultures (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086), sea salt.
Contains: Cashews.
Processed in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk and sesame.
Matcha Almond flavor: Ingredients (From English ingredient list on the label): Gluten-free oats, brown rice syrup, brown rice crisps, natural cashew butter, vegetable glycerine, chicory root fibre, almonds, matcha green tea powder, natural vanilla flavour, probiotic cultures (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086), sea salt.
Contains: Almonds and cashews.
Processed in a facility that also processes peanuts, tree nuts, milk and sesame.
Although not clearly apparent from the label and ingredient list, the Yaokin Umaibou Salad Flavor contains various animal ingredients per the company. It is not vegan, or even vegetarian. Only a warning that “product includes dairy” is given on the label but per the company it contains various types of meat, etc. as raw materials.
• Yaokin Umaibou Salad Flavor/やおきん うまい棒 やさいサラダ味. Ingredients: Corn (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, sugar (glucose, sugar), garlic seasoning, spice, bread crumbs, cabbage extract powder, potato, salt, protein hydrolyzate, parsley, seasoning (amino acids etc.), acidulant, paprika color, caramel color, flavor.
Product includes wheat, milk, and soy.
COOKIES
You may be able to find imported foods with English labels, like these Gullon Butterfly Cookies:
• Gullon Butterfly Cookies. Ingredients: See photo below.
Or like these Veganz cookies, found at an upscale supermarket called Table Spice in October 2020.
They’re labeled vegan and made in a factory that handles eggs, dairy, peanuts, soybeans, sesame, cashew nuts, and almonds.
Made-in-Malaysia Chocolate chip cookies can be found at Daiso, a 100 yen shop.
• Chocolate Chip Cookies/チョコチップ クッキー. Ingredients: Flour, vegetable oil, sugar, chocolate chips, tapioca starch, glucose syrup, cocoa powder, salt/leavening agent, flavoring, emulsifier, caramel coloring (product contains wheat and soy).
Products containing egg, peanuts, dairy, and sesame are made in the same factory.
Vegano No Japao has contacted the manufacturer to confirm that no animal ingredients are included in this product. Photos courtesy of Vegano No Japao.
These two flavors of made-in-Italy Dolcezze & Sapori biscuits are imported by Kobe Bussan, which runs the Gyomu Supa supermarket chain, and were purchased in a branch of Gyomu Supa in January 2021. The front of the package states in English that the product is free of milk and eggs. The third flavor, not pictured here, is called Honey, so presumably contains real honey and would not be vegan.
• Dolcezze & Sapori Italian Snack Biscuits with Cocoa and Hazelnuts. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, glucose syrup, corn starch, malt extract, salt/leavening agent, flavoring.
Products containing sesame are processed on the same line.
• Dolcezze & Sapori Italian Snack Biscuits with Cranberry and Sesame. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil, sweetened dried cranberries, sesame, glucose syrup, corn starch, malt extract, salt/leavening agent, flavoring.
The below Granada Whole Grain Cookies from Turkey and Gullon Digestive Classic cookies from Spain were found in a branch of Seijo Ishii grocery store in December 2020.
• Granada Whole Grain Cookies/グラナダ クランチーミューズリー. Ingredients: Wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, whole grain wheat flour, oatmeal, sesame, peanuts, high-fructose corn syrup, dried fig, sunflower seeds, orange peel, salt, cinnamon/leavening agent.
Factory handles items containing milk components and eggs.
The Gullon Digestive Classic biscuits say “vegetarian” in English on the front bottom left hand of the package.
• Gullon Digestive Classic/グリョン ダイジェスティブビスケット. Ingredients: Wheat flour, vegetable oil, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, wheat starch, wheat bran, salt/leavening agent.
Product contains wheat.
Factory manufactures products containing milk components and soba.
Photo from website.
The Muso Organic Biscuits bio fabriques en Normandie cookies are vegan per the company, Muso Co., Ltd.
They can be found in natural food shops or ordered online from Amazon or the Bio Floresta website.
• Muso Organic Biscuits bio fabriques en Normandie/JAS有機フランス産ビスケット オーツ麦. Ingredients: Organic oat flakes, organic wheat flour, organic sugar, organic palm oil, organic wheat starch, salt/vanilla flavor, leavening agent.
Online purchase link: Bio Floresta
These Nyakers Pepparkakor Swedish Gingersnaps Cookies have only been reported spotted at Gyomu Supa supermarkets. The package says “Suitable for vegans and vegetarians” in English. The ingredient list is the original English ingredient list on the package.
• Nyakers Pepparkakor Swedish Gingersnaps Cookies. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil (shea, coconut, canola), sugar syrup, raising agent (E500), cloves, cinnamon, ginger, salt, natural flavor.
Product contains wheat.
The Japanese ingredient list on the package also adds that the product is manufactured on shared equipment with products containing oranges.
Photo taken in August 2022 in a branch of Gyomu Supa.
These Oat Crisp cookies, found in a Co-op grocery store, are also made in Malaysia and may also be free of animal ingredients. What specifically is in the chocolate chips is not listed, but there is no warning that the product contains dairy allergens anywhere on the package. It’s also not clear what the polysorbate/ソルビタンエステル is made out of.
• Stars Seven Oat Crisp, Dark Chocolate/Stars Seven オーツクリスプ ダークチョコレート. Ingredients: Wheat flour, oats, chocolate chips, sugar, vegetable oil, starch syrup, cocoa powder, salt, hazelnuts/leavening agent, emulsifier (contains soy), flavoring, polysorbate.
Imported Kookie Cat (English) vegan cookies in various flavors can sometimes be found in some branches of upscale grocery stores.
The display stated “vegan,” “gluten-free,” “soy-free,” “wheat-free,” and “low GI.”
• Kookie Cat Chia Lemon. Ingredients: Gluten freeoat flakes*, coconut blossom nectar*,cashew*, desiccated coconut*, coconut oil*, coconut chips*, chia*(4,2%), lemon oil*(0,1%), salt.*
* Ingredient from organic agriculture.
For allergens see ingredients inbold.
Marked “vegan, gluten free, soy free, wheat free, palm oil free, peanut free” on package.
• Kookie Cat Vanilla Choc chip. Ingredients: Gluten freeoat flakes*, cashew*, coconut blossom nectar*, desiccated coconut*, chocolate chip*(cacao mass*, coconut sugar*, cacao butter*)(8%), coconut oil*, coconut chips*, Bourbon vanilla*(0,1%), salt.
* Ingredient from organic agriculture.
For allergens see ingredients inbold.
• Kookie Cat Cacao Nibs Walnut. Ingredients: Gluten free oats flakes*, cashew*, coconut blossom nectar*, coconut oil*, cacao butter*, walnuts*(4,5%), cacao powder*, cacao nibs*(1,5%), Bourbon vanilla*, salt.
* Ingredient from organic agriculture.
For allergens see ingredients in bold.
You may occasionally see other flavors in this line such as Hemp Cacao, pictured below.
• Lotus Biscoff/ロータス ビスコフ オリジナルカラメルビスケット. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oils, candy sugar syrup, raising agent (sodium hydrogen carbonate), soya flour (not genetically modified), salt, cinnamon. (Product contains soy).
• Maple Terroir Maple Syrup Cream Cookies. Ingredients: Sugar/glucose-frucose, enriched flour, modified palm oil, maple syrup, salt, soya lecithin, sodium bicarbonate, natural and artificial flavour.
Allergy information: Product may contain milk and eggs.
McVitie’s Original Digestives, now without dairy, are being sold nationwide in Japan as of April 2020. They are imported from England. They are available for purchase online from Ito Yokado (Japanese).
• McVitie’s Original Digestives/モントワールダイジェスティブビスケット．Ingredients: Wheat flour, vegetable oil, whole wheat flour, sugar, inverted sugar syrup, salt, leavening agent, pH adjusting agent.
Items containing dairy are handled in the same factory.
Morinaga, the largest confectionary company in Japan with over a 100-year history, has a line of macrobiotic biscuits called Macrobiha. They are carried in many of the major convenience store chains as well as some drugstores and grocery stores.
The Morinaga Macrobiha biscuit website says that margarine, shortening, flavorings, emulsifier, animal ingredients, and white sugar are not used.
Per an article in LiveKindly in November 2018, Morinaga has agreed to cease all animal testing not required by law.
This flavor was seen in an Aeon supermarket in April 2021. It was released March 30, 2021.
• Morinaga Macrobiha Hazelnuts and Cocoa/マクロビ派ヘーゼルナッツとカカオ. Ingredients: Sugar (beet sugar), edible rapeseed oil, oat flakes, wheat flour, hazelnuts, whole wheat flour, almonds, walnuts, cocoa powder, sunflower seeds, salt.
Product contains wheat and walnuts. (It also contains almonds, although this is not yet marked on the allergy section of the website- they are listed in the ingredient list.)
Processed on the same equipment as items containing egg and milk.
• Morinaga Macrobiha Almond and Cranberry/マクロビ派アーモンドとクランベリー．Ingredients: Edible rapeseed oil, oat flakes, sugar (beet sugar), wheat flour, almonds, whole wheat flour, dried cranberries with fruit juice (cranberries, concentrated apple juice, edible sunflower oil), brown rice flakes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt.
Product contains wheat, apples, and almonds.
Processed on the same equipment as items containing egg and milk.
Photo from website.
The previous biscuit flavors are shown below. You may still see these product images when online shopping. They may also be in convenience stores and station shops as the Morinaga website notes that the new flavors have not been released in those locations (information current as of April 2021).
• Morinaga Macrobiha Almond and Cranberry/マクロビ派アーモンドとクランベリー．Ingredients: Oat flakes, edible rapeseed oil, sugar (beet sugar), flour, whole wheat flour, dried cranberry with juice (cranberry, concentrated apple juice, edible sunflower oil), almonds, brown rice flakes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, salt.
Processed on the same equipment as items containing egg and milk.
• Morinaga Macrobiha Three Kinds of Nuts and Cacao/マクロビ派3種のナッツと香りばさしカカオ. Ingredients: Sugar (beet sugar), oat flakes, edible rapeseed oil, flour, whole wheat flour, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, cocoa powder, salt.
Processed on the same equipment as items containing egg and milk.
• Morinaga Macrobiha Cocoa and Nuts/マクロビ派カカオナッツ. Ingredients: Sugar (made from sugar beets), flour, oat flakes, edible rapeseed oil, almonds, brown rice flakes, cocoa powder, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, salt/vanilla flavor.
Product contains wheat.
Processed on the same equipment as items containing egg and milk.
• Morinaga Macrobiha Fruit & Granola/マクロビ派 フルーツグラノーラ. Ingredients: Oat flakes, edible rapeseed oil, sugar (made from sugar beets), wheat flour, whole grain wheat flour, dried cranberry with juice added (cranberry, concentrated apple juice, edible sunflower oil), brown rice flakes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, salt/vanilla flavor.
Product contains wheat and apples.
Processed on the same equipment as items containing egg and milk.
You may also sometimes be able to find the 3 Nuts & Setouchi Salt flavor in Family Mart. The front of the package states that only the 11 listed ingredients are used in the product/これ以外の原料は使用していません. The back of the package states that animal ingredients are not used, 動物性素材不使用.
•MorinagaMacrobiha 3 Nuts & Setouchi Salt/Morinagaマクロビ派 3種のナッツと瀬戸内の塩. Ingredients: Wheat flour, edible rapeseed oil, sugar (beet sugar), oat flakes, whole wheat flour, almonds, sunflower seeds, cashew nuts,soy sauce (contains soybeans), salt, macadamia nuts.
Product contains wheat, cashewnuts, and soybeans.
Processed on the same equipment as items containing egg and milk.
• Natural Taste Products Vanilla Cream Sandwich Cracker/自然味良品 バニラクリームクラッカー. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, shortening, vegetable oil, tapioca starch, salt, malt extract/leavening agent, flavoring, enzymes, antioxidants (BHT, vitamin E, vitamin C), pH adjusting agent, emulsifier (contains soybeans).
It is unclear what the shortening is made out of.
Nomura Mire Biscuits are available in a variety of flavors. The shortening is made of rapeseed oil and palm oil. It’s available in a round variety in lots of shops, but Sanrio lovers can get a whole box of a Hello Kitty-shaped variety by mail-order here (foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp, sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory).
This long shelf-life version in a tin can that can even be kept in your emergency kit in case of a disaster is good for five years from the date of manufacture (processed in a factory that also handles products using eggs, milk ingredients and bananas).
• NomuraMire Biscuits/のむら ミレービスケット. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (wheat flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, salt/leavening agent, emulsifier (derived from soy). (Product contains wheat and soybeans.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp, sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
The blog sushivoyage.net (Japanese) reports that this version of the biscuit uses palm oil and the sugar is filtered with beef bone char. It isn’t clear if this information is applicable to all the versions and flavors, but it may be.
The same product appears to be available in various different packaging.
• NomuraMire Biscuits/のむら やっぱりまじめミレービスケット. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (wheat flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, salt/leavening agent, emulsifier (derived from soybeans). (Product contains wheat and soy.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp, sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
• NomuraBullet Train Mire Biscuits/のむら 駅鉄新幹線ミレービスケット. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (wheat flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, salt/leavening agent, emulsifier (derived from soybeans). (Product contains wheat and soy.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp, sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
• NomuraMire Biscuits 4-Pack, Blue Package/のむら ミレービスケット 4連ミレービスケット 青. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (wheat flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, salt/leavening agent, emulsifier (derived from soybeans). (Product contains wheat and soy.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp, sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
The following version of Mini Mire Biscuits was found in a health food store, and the ingredient list is a bit different.
• Nomura Mini Mire Biscuits/のむら ミニミレービスケット.Ingredients: Wheat (100% domestically produced), vegetable oil (palm oil, rice oil), sugar (brown sugar), shortening (palm oil), glucose, salt, leavening agent.
There are various other flavors of this product available.
Black Pepper Mire Biscuits may be vegan, but the label doesn’t say the source of the hydrolyzed protein (both animal-sourced and plant-sourced hydrolyzed protein are commonly used in Japan).
• NomuraBlack Pepper Mire Biscuits/のむら やっぱりまじめ午後のミレービスケット. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, black pepper-flavored seasoning (spice, salt, sugar, protein hydrolyzate)/leavening agent, emulsifier (from soybeans), flavor, acidulant. (Product contains wheat and soybeans.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
• NomuraCaramel Mire Biscuits/のむら やっぱりまじめミレービスケットキャラメル風味. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, caramel sugar (granulated sugar, salt), salt/leavening agent, flavor, emulsifier (from soybeans). (Product contains wheat and soybeans.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
• NomuraCoffee Mire Biscuits/のむら やっぱりまじめミレービスケットコーヒー風味. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt) vegetable oil, salt/flavoring, leavening agent, emulsifier (from soybeans). (Product contains wheat and soybeans.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
• NomuraGarlic Mire Biscuits/のむら やっぱりまじめ真夜中のミレービスケット. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (wheat flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, garlic powder, salt/leavening agent, emulsifier (from soybeans). (Product contains wheat and soy.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
• NomuraGinger Mire Biscuits/のむら やっぱりまじめ昼のミレービスケット. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (wheat flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, dried ginger, salt/leavening agent, emulsifier (from soybeans). (Product contains wheat and soybeans.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
• NomuraLemon Mire Biscuits/のむら やっぱりまじめミレービスケットレモン風味. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, lemon-flavored seasoning (dextrin, glucose, lemon powder (from Hiroshima Prefecture and Ehime Prefecture), citrus extract), salt/leavening agent, acidulant, flavor, emulsifier (from soy). (Product contains wheat and soybeans.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
Uses Setouchi lemon from Hiroshima and Ehime prefectures.
• NomuraNon-Fried Mire Biscuits/のむら やっぱりまじめノンフライミレービスケット. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt/leavening agent, emulsifier (from soybeans). (Product contains wheat and soy.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
Nomura Wasabi Mire Biscuits may be vegan, but the label doesn’t say the source of the hydrolyzed protein (both animal-sourced and plant-sourced hydrolyzed protein are commonly used in Japan).
• Nomura Wasabi Mire Biscuits/のむら やっぱりまじめミレービスケットわさび風味. Ingredients: Biscuit dough (flour, sugar, shortening, glucose, salt), vegetable oil, wasabi flavor seasoning (starch, glucose, salt, protein hydrolyzate, kelp extract, yeast extract, horseradish stem powder)/leavening agent, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), spice, acidulant, emulsifier (from soybeans), spice extract. (Product contains wheat and soybeans.)
Foods containing peanut, eggs, dairy, buckwheat, shrimp sesame, and cashew nuts are made in the same factory.
NomuraCorn Potage Mire Biscuits/のむら 朝のミレービスケットコーンポタージュ味 are not vegan because they contain dairy as an ingredient.
The following cookies were found at Daiso, a popular chain of 100 yen stores. They have also been spotted in Lawson 100 stores and Ito Yokado. Note that the Berry & Nuts flavor is not vegan because it contains whole milk powder, 全粉乳/zen fun’nyū.
• Oat krunch with Hazelnut, Choco chip & Nuts/オーツクランチ チョコチップ＆ナッツ. Ingredients: Wheat flour, oat flakes, chocolate chips (sugar, vegetable oil, cocoa powder), sugar, vegetable oil, starch syrup, cocoa powder, salt, hazelnuts, leavening agent, emulsifier, flavoring. (Product contains soy.)
Product is manufactured in the same factory as items containing eggs, milk, and peanuts.
These Onisi cookies do not contain the 27 allergens. They will last five years if unopened so can be placed in emergency kits.
• Onisi Foods Rice Cookie, Coconut/尾西のライスクッキー ココナッツ風味. Ingredients: Rice flour (from Niigata), rice shortening (rice oil), sugar, sweetened coconut puree, almond powder, fermented seasoning (rice, salt), coarsely ground coconut.
Photo from website.
These Onisi Foods cookies do not contain the 28 allergens. They also do not use nuts. The product page of the Onisi foods website lists the source of the margarine as rapeseed oil. They will last five years if unopened so can be put in emergency kits.
• Onisi Foods Rice Cookie, Strawberry /尾西のライスクッキー いちご味. Ingredients: Rice flour (from Niigata Prefecture), margarine, corn flour, sugar, rice shortening (rice oil), strawberry paste, cornstarch/flavoring.
Photo from website.
For a long time, most Oreos in Japan (including the full-sized original version) had dairy, in contrast to many other countries. However, as of early 2021 the products were reformulated. It’s reported that customer service stated at that time that the emulsifier is not animal-derived and that they use sugar from a variety of suppliers, including those using bone-char processed sugar, and that they do not call this a vegan product.
None of the new versions of Oreos (Original Oreos, Chocolate Cream Oreos, Oreo Family Pack, and Oreo Bits Sandwiches, Vanilla Cream, show dairy on the ingredient list. From what’s listed on the Oreo website as of April 2021, only the old version of the Oreo Vanilla Cream has dairy (shown with an X on the applicable photo below).
There are still some older versions of the Original Oreos and Oreo Bits Sandwiches, Vanilla Cream with dairy being sold, so check the package carefully. If it has dairy it’ll say 原材料の一部に…乳成分…を含む, meaning “some of the ingredients contain milk.” If you’re accidentally looking at old stock with dairy there will also be one or more specific milk-derived ingredient(s) listed like whey powder/ホエイパウダー/hoei paudā, lactose/乳糖/nyuutou, or in the case of Oreo Crispy (not pictured here), whole milk powder/全粉乳/zen fun’nyū).
You can check the full lineup on the Oreo Japan website.
• Nabisco Original Oreos/ナビスコ バニラクリーム オレオ. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt/leavening agent, emulsifier, flavoring, acidulant, antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E) .
Product contains wheat and soybeans.
Products containing eggs and dairy are manufactured at the same facility.
Photo taken in a branch of Lawson convenience store in July 2021.
• Nabisco Chocolate Cream Oreos/ナビスコ チョコレートクリームオレオ. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt/leavening agent, emulsifer, flavoring, acidulant, antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E) .
Product contains wheat and soybeans.
Products containing eggs and dairy are manufactured at the same facility.
Photo taken in a branch of Lawson convenience store in July 2021.
The ingredient list of the Oreo Family Pack is identical to the ones shown above.
• Nabisco Oreo Family Pack/ナビスコ オレオ ファミリーパック.
First photo from website.
• Nabisco Oreo Bits Sandwiches, Vanilla Cream/ナビスコ オレオ ビッツサンド バニラ. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt/leavening agent, emulsifer, acidulant, flavoring, antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C) .
Product contains wheat and soybeans.
Products containing eggs and dairy are manufactured at the same facility.
These products are made in China and imported by Mondelez Japan. Mondelez International’s animal testing policy is available here (English).
Older versions of Oreos and Oreo Bits Sandwiches and all versions of Oreo Crispy available for online purchase will have dairy, so beware. For example a previous flavor, Mint Creme, is shown below, and it has ホエイパウダー/hoei paudā.
Here’s the box of the old stock of Oreo Original that has dairy (whey powder and lactose).
These manufactured-in-Canada cookies appear very similar to the previously mentioned Maple Terroir Maple Syrup Cream Cookies, but have a different ingredient list. It is not clear if the shortening is of plant or animal origin. The first two photos were taken in a branch of Natural Lawson (not regular Lawson) in March 2021.
• Taste Delight Maple Leaf Cream Cookies/テイストデライト メイプルリーフクリームクッキー. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, shortening, high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch, salt, maple syrup/leavening agent, flavoring, emulsifier (soy-derived).
Items containing dairy, egg, and peanuts are manufactured on the same equipment.
These Mr. Ito biscuits contain an animal ingredient per the manufacturer, although it’s not specifically noted in the ingredient list or in the listed allergens (only wheat and soybeans out of the 27 allergens). It may be so processed that there is no longer any legal requirement to list it as an allergen (if the allergenic substances themselves have been removed), however, that is only a guess. This is true of the Meiji Cake Margarine.
• Mr. Ito Pearl Barley Biscuits/ミスターイトウ もち麦ビスケット.
JELLY
• Mannan Life Konnyaku Batake (Devil’s Tongue) Jelly, Apple/マンナンライフ 蒟蒻畑 りんご味. Ingredients: High-fructose corn syrup (domestically produced), sugar, apple juice, dextrin, spirits, konjac powder/acidulant, pH adjuster, gelling agent (polysaccharide thickener), flavor.
The product has a warning on the front of the package stating it should not be given to young children or the elderly as it can present a choking hazard. This is because of the texture, which is firmer than regular jellies.
• Mannan Life Konnyaku Batake (Devil’s Tongue) Jelly, Pink Grapefruit (Limited Edition Flavor)/マンナンライフ 蒟蒻畑 ピンクグレープフルーツ. Ingredients: High-fructose corn syrup (domestically produced), sugar, fruit juice (apple, pink grapefruit), spirits, dextrin, konjac powder/acidulant, pH adjuster, gelling agent (polysaccharide thickener), flavor, tomato pigment.
The product has a warning on the front of the package stating it should not be given to young children or the elderly as it can present a choking hazard. This is because of the texture, which is firmer than regular jellies.
• Mannan Life Konnyaku Batake (Devil’s Tongue) Jelly, Grape/マンナンライフ 蒟蒻畑 ぶどう. Ingredients: High-fructose corn syrup (domestically produced), sugar, fruit juice (grapes, apples), spirits, dextrin, konjac powder/acidulant, pH adjuster, gelling agent (polysaccharide thickener), flavor.
The product has a warning on the front of the package stating it should not be given to young children or the elderly as it can present a choking hazard. This is because of the texture, which is firmer than regular jellies.
• Mannan Life Konnyaku Batake (Devil’s Tongue) Jelly, Satsuma Mandarin/マンナンライフ 蒟蒻畑 温州みかん. Ingredients: High-fructose corn syrup (domestically produced), sugar, fruit juice (Satsuma mandarins, apples), dextrin, spirits, konjac powder/acidulant, pH adjuster, gelling agent (polysaccharide thickener), flavor, carotene pigment.
The product has a warning on the front of the package stating it should not be given to young children or the elderly as it can present a choking hazard. This is because of the texture, which is firmer than regular jellies.
• Mannan Life Konnyaku Batake (Devil’s Tongue) Jelly, White Peach/マンナンライフ 蒟蒻畑 白桃味. Ingredients: High-fructose corn syrup (domestically produced), sugar, peach juice, spirits, dextrin, konjac powder/acidulant, pH adjuster, gelling agent (polysaccharide thickener), flavor.
The product has a warning on the front of the package stating it should not be given to young children or the elderly as it can present a choking hazard. This is because of the texture, which is firmer than regular jellies.
POPCORN
FamilyMart:
Photos taken in May 2021.
• Crispy Fluffy Popcorn with Two Kinds of Salt/ふんわりポップコーン2種のあっさりしお味.Ingredients: Corn (non-genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt.
Two kinds of salt are used, Shimamars from Okinawa and Setouchi sea salt.
Not available in some parts of the Tokai region.
• f*ckagawa Oil &Fat Company, Ltd. Lightly Salted Chemical Seasoning & Additive-free Popcorn/深川油脂工業 化学調味料無添加ポープコーンうす塩味. Ingredients: Corn (not genetically modified), vegetable oil (rice oil), salt.
No chemical seasonings or preservatives are used.
Photos of the Popcorn Salt Flavor from Lawson convenience stores were taken in May 2021.
• Popcorn Salt Flavor/瀬戸内産海塩使用のポップコーンしお味. Ingredients: Corn (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt (100% Setouchi sea salt).
Manufactured on common equipment with items containing shrimp, crab, wheat, egg, and dairy.
• Mini Stop Everyday Treats Salted Popcorn/Mini Stop ポップコーンしお味.Ingredients: Corn (not genetically modified), vegetable oil, salt.
Products containing shrimp, crab, wheat, egg, and milk are also processed in the same factory.
•Mujirushi Ryouhin Olive Oil Popcorn/素材を生かした オリーブオイルポップコーン ３０ｇ. Ingredients: Popcorn, olive oil, salt.
Processed on the same equipment as items containing shrimp, crab, wheat, soba, egg, dairy, peanuts.
Chemical seasonings not used.
• Natural Taste Products Popcorn/自然味良品 ポップコーン. Ingredients: Corn (non-genetically modified), sugar, starch syrup, salt, leavening agent. Does not contain milk, egg, shrimp or crab.
Does not use artificial colors or preservatives.
PICKLEDPLUMSNACKS
The following photos were taken at a branch of Lawson convenience store in May 2021.
•Sheet ShapedPickledPlum/梅干しシート. Ingredients:Plum, sugars (sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, glucose), salt/seasonings (amino acids, etc.), sweeteners (aspartame/L-phenylalanine compound, stevia), coloring (anthocyanin), acidity regulator.
Manufactured using shared equipment along with products containing wheat, squid, soybeans and sesame.
RICE CRACKERS
There are many types of rice crackers that may be vegan, although some types do contain non-vegan ingredients such as gelatin. Following are some examples of rice crackers with no obvious animal ingredients in the ingredient list.
• Amano-ya Kabuki-AgeRice Crackers/天乃屋 ひとくち歌舞伎揚. Ingredients: Non-glutinous rice (US and domestic), vegetable oil, sugar, soy sauce (contains soy and wheat), high fructose corn syrup, seasoning extract (contains soy), salt, modified starch (derived from wheat), seasoning (amino acid etc), caramel colouring. The seasoning may be animal-derived.
Happy Turn Rice Crackers may be vegan, but it isn’t clear if all the hydrolyzed protein is from plants/soybeans, and the label does not state the source of the powdered fat and oil.
• Happy TurnRice Crackers/ハッピーターン. Ingredients: Rice (non-glutinous rice from America and Japan, glutinous rice from Thailand), vegetable oil, sugar, starch, hydrolyzed protein (contains soybeans), salt, powdered fat and oil, processed starch, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), vegetable lecithin (soybean derived). (Product contains soybeans.)
Produced in a factory along with products containing egg, dairy, wheat, shrimp, and peanuts.
They are also available in small four-packs. The ingredients and allergen warnings are the same.
• Happy Turn Rice Crackers, 4-pack/６０ｇハッピーターンミニ4連.
• Sanko SeikaParinkoRice Crackers/三幸製菓 パリンコ. Ingredients: Rice (America and Japan), vegetable oil, salt, sugar, soy sauce powder (contains soy and wheat), spice, modified starch, seasoning (amino acid etc), plant lecithin (from soy). The seasoning may be animal-derived. (Product contains wheat and soybeans.)
Manufactured in a facility that also makes products containing milk and shrimp.
• Yamato Kamesen (Turtle Crackers/やもとのかめせん. Ingredients: Wheat flour, sweet potato starch, vegetable oil, sugar, soy sauce (includes soybeans and wheat), salt, mirin, starch syrup, red pepper, leavening agent, seasoning (amino acids, etc.)
Photo from website.
RICE SNACKS
• SankoBrown Sugar Rice Snacks/サンコー はとむぎおこし. Ingredients: Starch syrup, brown rice, brown sugar, maltose, sugar (non-centrifugal beet sugar), adlay (Job’s tears), vegetable oil (palm oil), isomaltooligosaccharide, salt.
• Brown Sugar Rice Snacks/南国製菓 黒砂糖すなっく. Ingredients: Rice (domestic), sugar, starch syrup, brown sugar, caramel, vegetable oil, polysaccharide thickener.
WAFFLES
The following product was spotted at a Bio C’ Bon grocery store in Yokohama.
• Crossroads Coconut Waffles, Cocoa/クロスロード ココナッツワッフル ココア. Ingredients: Organic flour, organic coconut milk, organic sugar, organic coconut oil, organic coconut cream, organic cocoa powder, organic agave syrup, baker’s yeast, organic coconut sugar, organic coconut (fine), sun salt, stabilizer (guar gum).
• Crossroads Coconut Waffles, Plain/クロスロード ココナッツワッフル プレーン. Ingredients: Organic flour, organic coconut milk, organic sugar, organic coconut oil, organic coconut cream, organic agave syrup, baker’s yeast, organic coconut sugar, organic coconut (fine), sun salt, stabilizer (guar gum).
There are some snacks that look as if they may be vegan from the ingredient list, but are not.
Glico Pretz, Salad and Glico Pretz, Tomatoflavors both have a warning that they contain dairy, but it isn’t clear if it’s a cross-contamination warning or not, as reading the ingredients doesn’t make it apparent where the dairy might be. In 2019, customer service confirmed both have dairy in the ingredients, not from cross-contamination.
Sanritsu Genji Pie/Sanritsu源氏パイ is another snack that looks vegan but isn’t. The ingredient list reads that it contains “margarine,” but in 2018, it was reported that the customer service center said that the margarine in the product was made out of fish, presumably fish oil.
