Is tamari sauce vegan?

Tamari sauce is a Japanese soy sauce derived from the Japanese verb tamaru, which means to accumulate, referring to the liquid that naturally collects during the fermentation of soybean miso paste. Traditionally developed in the Chubu region of Japan, it is produced by fermenting a thick mash of whole soybeans, water, salt, and koji mold, though some commercial varieties include a small quantity of wheat. Food manufacturers list tamari sauce on ingredient labels for items such as packaged marinades, dipping sauces, salad dressings, savory snack crackers, and prepared frozen meals.

Tamari sauce is vegan because it is made entirely from plant, mineral, and microbial sources. The production process requires only soybeans, grain, salt, water, and fungal fermentation cultures. Manufacturers do not use animal ingredients, byproducts, or animal-derived processing aids during the brewing, pressing, filtering, or pasteurization stages of standard tamari sauce.