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Ingredient dictionary

Tempeh culture on a food label: it contains soy

Tempeh culture is a kind of microbial culture. It contains soy, so the allergen labelling rules apply. Whether it is vegan depends on how it was made.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 6 sourcesHow we check

Not for you

for a soy allergy profile

Tempeh culture=soy

Does tempeh culture contain an allergen?

Yes. Tempeh culture contains soy: labels in the US, the UK, Europe and the Gulf must declare it.

AllergenUSUK and EuropeGulf
SoybeansRequiredRequiredRequired

Read the soy guide

Is tempeh culture vegan?

It depends on the make. Some kinds of tempeh culture are made with an animal product and a label rarely says which, so a vegan profile gets Heads up. Whether it is vegetarian depends on the make too.

VeganHeads upSome kinds are made with an animal product, and a label rarely says which.
VegetarianHeads upSome kinds are made with an animal product vegetarians avoid, and a label rarely says which.
Soy allergyNot for youIt contains soy.

A pack can differ from the usual recipe: the app reads the label in your hand.

What other names does tempeh culture have on a label?

On European labels it is “culture de tempeh” in French, “Tempeh-Kultur” in German and “coltura di tempeh” in Italian.

French
culture de tempeh, ferment de tempeh
German
Tempeh-Kultur
Italian
coltura di tempeh

Which foods contain tempeh culture?

Open Food Facts lists tempeh culture in the ingredients of 14 products, most often beans and pulses, ready meals and meat. Most of them are sold in the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany.

  • Beans and pulses8
  • Ready meals2
  • Meat2
  • Savoury snacks1

Products with it, by country of sale: United Kingdom 7 · United States 4 · Germany 2 · Australia 1.

Counted on 13 October 2026 from the Open Food Facts product database, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where tempeh culture turns up, not how much of the market it is.

What kind of ingredient is tempeh culture?

Tempeh culture is a kind of microbial culture.

Bravoora reads this ingredient for everyone you shop for: an allergy or intolerance, a vegan or vegetarian diet, a calorie or protein goal, and the labels on supplements and skincare too. Build a profile · For dietitians, doctors and trainers

Sources

An allergen is stated only when two of three checks agree: the Open Food Facts record, Bravoora’s label checker, and the ingredient’s own name or family (oat flour is oats, a cheese is milk). Every name where they disagree waits for a person to review it.

  1. Open Food Facts: Tempeh culture
  2. Open Food Facts: ingredients taxonomy (names, family tree, allergen and vegan flags), ODbL
  3. Open Food Facts: product database, 4,535,553 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
  4. European Union: Regulation 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, Annex II
  5. UK Food Standards Agency: Allergen guidance for food businesses (the 14 allergens)
  6. US FDA: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergen Labeling, Edition 5 (January 2025)

Contains information from Open Food Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Read the licence · Download this dictionary’s data · How we check

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