Bonito dashi granules: every ingredient on the label
味の素 「ほんだし®」40g袋
Granulated bonito dashi (soup stock) made with 3 kinds of dried bonito flakes. It has 6 ingredients, and only 1 is an additive: “調味料（アミノ酸等）” (seasoning, amino acids, etc.).
Checking the ingredient list against the additives you flagged.
Choose additives to flag →Labeling as shown by the maker
This label was copied from the maker's official product page (checked 2026-10-02). Package labels can change, so please check the actual label when you buy.
| 名称Name | 風味調味料（かつお） |
|---|---|
| 原材料名Ingredients | 、、、、／、（乳成分を含む） |
| 内容量Net contents | 40g（袋） |
| 賞味期限Best before | 枠外に記載 |
| 保存方法Storage | |
| 製造者Manufacturer | 味の素株式会社 中身製造：味の素食品（株）川崎工場（神奈川県）または三重工場（三重県） 充填包装：味の素食品（株）川崎工場（神奈川県） |
Allergens: contains milk
| Energy エネルギー | 2.4kcal |
| Protein たんぱく質 | 0.27g |
| Fat 脂質 | 0〜0.01g |
| Carbohydrate 炭水化物 | 0.30g |
| Salt equivalent 食塩相当量 | 0.40g |
| Potassium カリウム | 2.0mg |
| Phosphorus リン | 2.6mg |
| Iodine ヨウ素 | 0mg |
Copied from the official site as of the date checked. The label is shown in Japanese as printed; tap an ingredient to see its English name and role. The links in the table below lead to our Ingredients A–Z and food additive database. The allergen on the official page is “乳成分” (milk). The product page does not give a storage method, but the Q&A on the same page recommends room-temperature storage, and after opening, keeping it away from direct sunlight, heat and humidity and sealed as tightly as possible. The official page says “商品の改訂等により、商品パッケージの記載内容が異なる場合があります” (the package may differ from this page because of product revisions).
Ingredients, one by one
| On the label | Type | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 食塩（国内製造）salt | Ingredient | Saltiness | Ingredients are listed in order of weight, so salt is the largest. The nutrition facts give 0.40 g of salt equivalent per 1 g, which is about 40% of the weight. |
| 砂糖類（砂糖、乳糖）sugars (sugar, lactose) | Ingredient | Sweetness and balance of taste | “砂糖類” (sugars) is a way of labeling in which sugar and lactose are grouped together and the contents are written in parentheses. Lactose is the sugar found in milk, and the “乳成分” (milk) in the allergen labeling appears to refer to this. |
| 風味原料（かつおぶし粉末、かつおエキス）（かつおぶし粉末・かつおエキスとも日本）flavoring ingredients (dried bonito powder, bonito extract) | Ingredient | Bonito aroma and umami | Dried bonito (katsuobushi) ground into powder, and an extract made by simmering bonito. The official page says the bonito is caught in the central-western Pacific or the Indian Ocean, and the dried bonito is processed in Shizuoka and Kagoshima prefectures. |
| 酵母エキスyeast extract | Ingredient | Umami | The contents of yeast, extracted. It is treated as a food, not an additive. |
| 酵母エキス発酵調味料yeast-extract fermented seasoning | Ingredient | Umami and richness | A seasoning made by further fermenting yeast extract. It is written before the “/” because it is a food ingredient. The official page does not give the detailed production method. |
| 調味料（アミノ酸等）seasoning (amino acids, etc.) | Food additive | Umami | An additive that adds umami, such as monosodium glutamate. Under the rules, umami additives may be written under the group name “調味料” (seasoning), and “（アミノ酸等）” is added when amino acids are the largest part. The label does not show what is included or how many kinds. |
Similar products with fewer food additives
Products on the same shelf that we have read, with fewer food additives than this one (1). Shown as a difference in labeling, not a judgment.
Natural dashi stock pack, ryotei (high-end restaurant) style
鰹節（国内製造）、いわし煮干、昆布、椎茸、あじ煮干
Takumi-aji pack, Kyoto-style tuna dashi
まぐろ節（国内製造）、昆布
Dashi pack “Junihitoe” (twelve-layered robe)
いわしふし（国内製造）、いわし煮干、とびうお煮干、かつおふし、うるめふし、そうだかつおふし、昆布、乾しいたけ、干しえび、むろあじふし、まぐろふし
Good points and concerns
+Good points
- 6 ingredients, with 1 additive: “調味料（アミノ酸等）” (shown under a group name)
- The dried bonito powder and bonito extract are officially labeled as made in Japan (fishing area and processing location are also published)
- The ingredient list on the official page is the same for all sizes: 40 g bag, 120 g box, 60 g jar and so on
−Concerns
- The largest ingredient is salt. One miso-soup serving (1 g) has 0.40 g of salt equivalent
- “調味料（アミノ酸等）” is a group name, so the label does not show what is included
- The sugars include lactose, and the allergen labeling is milk
Related articles
Sources
- Hondashi® | Products | Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
- “Tips on food additive labeling” for understanding food labels correctly | Consumer Affairs Agency
- Labeling on the maker's official site (checked 2026-10-02)
This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
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