The Gluten Guide
Discover gluten & dairy free food from around the world
Is Maggi seasoning sauce gluten free?
recipes, celiac edu

Is Maggi seasoning sauce gluten free?

January 10, 2024

Updated January 2024. Maggi seems to have updated their Polish Maggi variety and it now lists wheat in the ingredients. We’ve updated this article to reflect this. Mexican Maggi is now the only type that may be gluten free. Proceed with caution and always read ingredient lists for new bottles.

Maggi seasoning sauce is well-loved around the world. Maggi tailors its seasoning sauces to fit within many different markets globally, so there are tons of variations. We’ll break down each variety by country, to help pinpoint each country’s unique flavor and determine which may be gluten free.

The varieties of Maggi most likely to be gluten free are made for the Mexican market. All other types of Maggi contain gluten. Please note that this does not apply for all of the Maggi types produced in Mexico. We’ll provide more information about why that’s the case below!

maggi

Various Maggi from America's Test Kitchen

What is Maggi?

The Maggi company was started in Switzerland in 1884 by Julius Maggi, but was first sold in Germany. Nestlé acquired the Maggi brand in 1947. Many people think that Maggi tastes like lovage, but not all varieties contain the herb. The sauce can be added to soups, noodles, meats, or anything needing an umami depth of flavor. The different varieties of sauces are not exactly interchangable, so a breakdown of Maggi versions by country can help.

Maggi is made with a base of hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which usually includes hydrolyzed wheat protein. Hydrolyzing means that the proteins have been fermented or processed to break them down into individual amino acids, like glutamic acid. MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid. While hydrolyzed gluten proteins may be safe for celiacs, it’s better to avoid them unless you’d like to take a gamble with a reaction. Some countries, like Mexico, don’t use much wheat in their mass-produced goods, and do not list wheat as an ingredient in some of their Maggi varieties, so these versions are most likely to be gluten free.

maggi

Würze doch mal from BP-Creality

Maggi Types by Country:



German Version (Würze)

  • the original
  • flavor notes: complex and rich, but delicate
  • contains ‘biologically digested wheat protein’ and wheat in the flavorings

Chinese Version

  • the kind most commonly sold in the US
  • flavor notes: fermented-tasting and robust, but with less umami because MSG has been removed
  • contains wheat gluten, wheat, and wheat bran. this is the version most commonly found in the US. Some ingredients labels also include roasted wheat flour

Mexican Versions

  • flavor notes: darker, with a more concentrated salty flavor and thicker consistency. doesn’t include MSG

  • Jugo Classic

    • doesn’t contain any obvious wheat ingredients, but provides warning: ‘may contain wheat’

  • Jugo Toreados

    • doesn’t visibly contain any wheat, but does contain hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which is unidentified

  • Salsa Tipo Inglesa

    • has a ‘contains gluten’ warning - skip this one!

  • Jugo Reducido en Sodio (reduced sodium)

    • ‘may contain gluten’ warning, but no obvious ingredients that do

French Version (Arôme)

  • flavor is similar to the German variety, but slightly more delicate in taste
  • includes hydrolyzed wheat protein

Polish Version (Przyprawa w Plynie)

  • flavor notes: slightly more sour and light, contains the herb lovage
  • contains wheat gluten, wheat, and wheat bran

Filipino Versions


Vietnamese Version (Đậu Nành Đậm Đặc)

  • flavor notes: lighter and less salty than most versions, with more sweetness
  • contains fermented wheat extract

Gluten Free Maggi Alternatives

maggi

Bragg's Liquid Aminos

* Title image courtesy of Welt.de.

- Further Reading -