Tempeh
Other names Tempeh, Fermented soybean cake
Tempeh: high in histamine, tyramine and nickel; low in FODMAPs, gluten, oligosaccharides and oxalates. If you're sensitive to any of these, check it against your profile before eating.
Intolerances
- Histamine (+liberators / DAO inhibitors)High
Tempeh is fermented for only 24 to 48 hours - far shorter than miso or soy sauce - by a mould that is grown deliberately and then stopped by cooking. Short and controlled is the best case for a ferment on this axis, and it is why tempeh is often better tolerated than its category suggests. Over-ripe tempeh, going grey and ammoniacal, is not.
Sources· 2
- Comas-Baste et al., Biomolecules 2020
- McCabe-Sellers et al., J Food Compos Anal 2006
- TyramineHigh
Tempeh ferments for only 24 to 48 hours, by a mould grown deliberately and then stopped by cooking - far shorter than miso or soy sauce. Short and controlled is the best case for a ferment's tyramine. Over-ripe tempeh going grey and ammoniacal is a different matter.
Sources· 2
- EFSA Journal 2011 (tyramine and histamine in fermented foods)
- McCabe-Sellers et al., J Food Compos Anal 2006
- NickelHigh
Tempeh is the whole soybean, fermented and pressed - nothing is removed, so the bean's nickel is all still there. Fermentation changes the carbohydrates and the amines; it cannot change a metal.
Sources· 2
- Flyvholm M-A et al., Z Lebensm Unters Forsch 179 (1984) 427-431, nickel content of food and estimates of dietary intake
- Noel L et al., Food Chemistry 132 (2012) 1502-1513, second French Total Diet Study, nickel among nine trace elements
- FODMAPsLow
Tempeh is low although the soybean carries the raffinose family in quantity, because it has been fermented, and the Rhizopus consumes the raffinose-family sugars. Soy is the clearest illustration on this axis that processing decides the level rather than the plant: the same bean gives natto at the top and this at the bottom. Tuck measured it directly: 0.26 grams of FODMAP per serve, classified low — which is the fermentation showing, since the soya bean it is made from is not.
Sources· 1
- Tuck C et al., J Hum Nutr Diet 31 (2018), FODMAP content of common plant-based and processed foods
- GlutenPossible
Tempeh is soya beans bound by a mould, and the substrate is where the risk sits: some producers add barley or wheat to the beans, and some inoculate on a grain carrier. Plain soy tempeh has no gluten at all, so this is a label question rather than a food question.
Sources· 2
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II (cereals containing gluten must be declared)
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 (gluten-free at or below 20 mg/kg)
- OligosaccharidesFODMAPsLow
Tempeh is whole soya beans fermented by Rhizopus, and the mould consumes the raffinose family as it grows - stachyose and raffinose measurably fall during fermentation. The bean was high; the mould did the work.
Sources· 1
- Švejstil R. et al., Sci Agric Bohem 46:2 (2015) 73-77, raffinose-series oligosaccharides in soybean products. Rehms H. & Barz W., Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 44 (1995) 47-52, screened 46 tempe-forming Rhizopus strains and found R. oryzae and R. stolonifer consuming raffinose, stachyose and melibiose completely — it measures the moulds rather than a finished tempeh, so it carries the mechanism and no figure for a product on sale
- OxalatesLow
Tempeh comes from the soybean, which carries oxalate like any pulse - but the processing matters more than the bean. Tempeh is the whole bean, bound by its culture rather than strained, so nothing is drained away before it is eaten. Oxalate is water-soluble, so what is boiled and drained differs from what is steamed or eaten whole.
Sources· 1
- Gad S. et al., Food Chemistry 8:3 (1982) 169-177, oxalate of pulses and the effect of cooking
- LactoseFODMAPsNone
- FructoseFODMAPsNone
- SorbitolFODMAPsNone
- SucroseNone
- SalicylateNone
Intolerance levels are based on our documented scientific sources. See sources →
React to Histamine (+liberators / DAO inhibitors)? Check these too
More in Other
Almond butter
Almond cream
Almond yogurt
Apple puree
Beef broth
Beef gelatin
Beetroot juice powder
Bouillon cube
Breadcrumbs
Calcium
Cashew cheese
Chicken broth
Frequently asked questions
Which intolerances does Tempeh affect?
Tempeh is notable for histamine, tyramine, nickel, FODMAPs, gluten, oligosaccharides and oxalates. Clear on lactose, fructose, sorbitol, sucrose and salicylate.
Does Tempeh contain histamine?
Yes — Tempeh is high in histamine. Tempeh is fermented for only 24 to 48 hours - far shorter than miso or soy sauce - by a mould that is grown deliberately and then stopped by cooking. Short and controlled is the best case for a ferment on this axis, and it is why tempeh is often better tolerated than its category suggests. Over-ripe tempeh, going grey and ammoniacal, is not.
Does Tempeh contain tyramine?
Yes — Tempeh is high in tyramine. Tempeh ferments for only 24 to 48 hours, by a mould grown deliberately and then stopped by cooking - far shorter than miso or soy sauce. Short and controlled is the best case for a ferment's tyramine. Over-ripe tempeh going grey and ammoniacal is a different matter.
Does Tempeh contain nickel?
Yes — Tempeh is high in nickel. Tempeh is the whole soybean, fermented and pressed - nothing is removed, so the bean's nickel is all still there. Fermentation changes the carbohydrates and the amines; it cannot change a metal.
Does Tempeh contain FODMAPs?
Tempeh contains only low levels of FODMAPs. Tempeh is low although the soybean carries the raffinose family in quantity, because it has been fermented, and the Rhizopus consumes the raffinose-family sugars. Soy is the clearest illustration on this axis that processing decides the level rather than the plant: the same bean gives natto at the top and this at the bottom. Tuck measured it directly: 0.26 grams of FODMAP per serve, classified low — which is the fermentation showing, since the soya bean it is made from is not. Amounts vary by brand and recipe, so always check the label of the exact product.
Check any product in seconds
Scan a barcode with the Yllo app and see straight away whether a product fits your intolerances.