Yes. All PEARL Soymilk flavors are lactose-free and can be enjoyed by people with the condition known as being lactase-deficient. Lactase is an enzyme in the body that facilitates the breakdown of lactose—the natural sugar found in cow’s milk. Some indications you may be lactose intolerant are bloating, severe gas, stomach cramps or nausea. These will occur between 30 minutes and 2 hours after drinking dairy milk. If you believe you are lactose intolerant, we recommend that you consult your healthcare professional to develop an appropriate diet.

None of our PEARL Soymilk flavors contain dairy-derived ingredients. If you believe you suffer from dairy allergies, we recommend that you consult your doctor to develop an appropriate diet.

For the various Japanese-style soup mixes and the Chinese-Style Seafood, Thai-Style Tom Yum and Korean-Style Tofu Jjigae Soup Mixes, they will maintain their peak quality for one year after their production date. A four-digit production date code (Year-Month-Day) is printed at the bottom of the package back. The code reflects the date the mix was made. The first number refers to the last digit of the year. The second number or letter* stands for the month with the last two digits representing the day of the month. For example, a package has “2304” as the code. The “2” refers to 2022 and the “3” is for the third month of the year so it was produced on March 4, 2022. *Please note the letter “O” is used for the month of October and “Y” represents November and “Z” is for December

We suggest refrigerating them after opening and using within a month of opening for the best quality.

The sesame oil does not require refrigeration after opening, but we suggest storing it in a cool, dark cupboard or pantry.

Our Best By Date is written as Day, Month and Year. For example, a printed Best By Date of 10MAR23 would indicate the unopened product should be used before March 10, 2023 for the best quality.

The Best By Date is printed on the front or back of the bottle close to the cap. Please click here to view some examples. 

Kikkoman started to print Best By Dates on retail supermarket items in the year 2008. For 2-quart containers or larger, they may still have a production code printed on the container’s neck instead. The code is the top (or first set) of printed numbers and letters. The three-digit number before the letters refers to the Day-of-the-Year (like the Ordinal Date or Julian Day Calendar), followed by letters that represent the year. All our sauces manufactured in 2022 will have the letters “BB”. The letters “BA” were used for 2021, “BX” were used for 2020 and “AW” for 2019. If your Kikkoman product has any other letters, then the product was made over five years ago. For unopened products in plastic bottles, the soy sauce should be used within two years of its production date code, and, the teriyaki marinade & sauce, rice vinegars, and other Asian sauces generally should be used within 18 months.

For the best quality, we recommend using the sauces within one month of opening.

Once opened, the soy sauce will start to lose its freshness and the flavor will begin to change. By refrigerating the sauce, the flavor and quality will remain at their peak for a longer period. As long as no water or other ingredients have been added to the soy sauce, it would not spoil if it had not been refrigerated.