Ingredients A–ZSeasoningsChecked 2026-09-30
Fish sauce 魚醤（ナンプラーなど）
Food ingredientUsed in 3 products on this site
A seasoning made from the liquid that comes out when seafood is salted, fermented, and aged. Besides Thai nam pla (nampla), the Standard Tables list the Japanese shottsuru, ishiru (ishiri), and ikanago-shoyu as “魚醤油” (fish sauce). On nampla products themselves, the name of the main source fish (such as sardine) is written in the ingredient list, so this page explains them together.
How it appears on labels
| On the label (Japanese) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 魚醤（イカを含む） | fish sauce (contains squid) |
| 魚醤（魚介類） | fish sauce (seafood) |
| いわし | sardine |
| ナンプラー | nampla (Thai fish sauce) |
| しょっつる | shottsuru (Japanese fish sauce) |
| いしる（いしり） | ishiru (ishiri; Japanese fish sauce) |
| いかなごしょうゆ | ikanago-shoyu (fish sauce made from sand lance) |
Labeling rules
- In the Food Labeling Standards, “しょうゆ” (soy sauce) is defined as made from “しょうゆこうじ” (soy sauce koji), which is soybeans (or soybeans with wheat, rice, etc.) on which koji mold has been grown (Appended Table 3). Fish sauce made from seafood does not fall under this definition of soy sauce. The Standards have no definition or naming rule for fish sauce itself; the word “魚醤油” appears only in the explanation of “風味原料” (flavoring ingredients) in miso (Appended Table 3).
- For allergen labeling, fish sauce is made from seafood caught in nets and used without sorting, so fish sauce whose seafood contents cannot be identified is allowed, as an exception, to be written “魚醤（魚介類）” (fish sauce (seafood)). This wording is regarded as a substitute for notations such as “えびを含む” (contains shrimp). Plain “魚醤” (fish sauce) can be written only when it can be judged that shrimp, crab, and the like are not included (the Consumer Affairs Agency's Q&A on the Food Labeling Standards, H-2).
- Squid is one of the allergens recommended for labeling (those that fall under “特定原材料に準ずるもの”), and all types of squid are covered (the Consumer Affairs Agency's Q&A, D-11). “魚醤（イカを含む）” (fish sauce (contains squid)) is this labeling.
Good to know
- Among the products on this site, the nampla (メガシェフ, Mega Chef) has the name “ナンプラー（魚醤）” (nampla (fish sauce)) and the ingredients “いわし、食塩、砂糖、果糖” (sardine, salt, sugar, fructose) in its Japanese label. The Thai label on the bottle says anchovy (かたくちいわし) 70% and salt 27%.
- Among the Worcestershire-type sauces on this site, the yakisoba sauce (光食品, Hikari Foods) is labeled “魚醤（イカを含む）” (fish sauce (contains squid)), and the Worcestershire sauce (オジカソース, Ojika Sauce) is labeled “魚醤（魚介類）” (fish sauce (seafood)).
- In the Standard Tables, nampla has 22.9 g of salt equivalent per 100 g and shottsuru has 24.3 g. These are higher than koikuchi (dark) soy sauce (14.5 g).
Food composition data
| Fish sauce (per 100 g) | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Carbohydrate (g) | Salt equivalent (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish sauce, namplaFood No. 17107 | 47 | 9.1 | 0.1 | 2.7 | 22.9 |
| Fish sauce, shottsuruFood No. 17135 | 29 | 6.1 | 0 | 1.1 | 24.3 |
| Fish sauce, ishiru (ishiri)Food No. 17134 | 67 | 12.8 | 0 | 4.2 | 21.9 |
| Fish sauce, ikanago-shoyuFood No. 17133 | 64 | 13.9 | 0 | 2.1 | 21.2 |
Per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: MEXT, Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition, 2023 supplement).
Products on this site that contain it
| Product | As written on the label |
|---|---|
| 国産有機野菜・果実使用 やきそばソース光食品 | 魚醤（イカを含む） |
| ナンプラーMegachef（メガシェフ） | いわし |
| ウスターソースオジカソース | 魚醤（魚介類） |
Product pages are in Japanese for now; each one reads every ingredient on the label.
Related pages
- Article: Differences among nampla, shottsuru, and ishiru, and salt and histamine
- Ingredient: Soy sauce (honjozo)
- Ingredient: Dried bonito flakes and other dried fish (fushi and niboshi), including iwashi niboshi (dried sardines)
- Ingredient: Dried shrimp (allergen labeling for shrimp)
- Products on this site: Asian seasonings
Sources
- Food Labeling Standards (Cabinet Office Ordinance No. 10 of 2015) — e-Gov Japanese Law Search
- Q&A on the Food Labeling Standards (revised March 28, 2025) — Consumer Affairs Agency
- Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan (8th revised edition, 2023 supplement) — MEXT
Sources are in Japanese unless noted otherwise. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts stated in laws and in standards of public bodies and industry associations. It does not judge whether an ingredient or product is good or bad. If you have a food allergy, always check the label on the package.