Caution: Blackstrap Molasses Is High FODMAP!

Posted on March 16, 2017

We recently tested blackstrap molasses!

Read on to find out whether or not it’s high or low FODMAP…

A bit about molasses

If you are on a low FODMAP diet, no doubt you will be looking at ingredients lists to determine if a food is going to sit happily in your tummy or send you running to the bathroom.

Up until now, molasses has been one of the commonly used sweeteners that has been an unknown. Older USDA nutrient database does suggest it has more fructose than glucose, indicating that it is potentially high FODMAP for excess fructose.

Molasses is a thick dark syrup, it is made when sugar is crystalized out of sugar cane or sugar beet juice, but can also be made from grapes or sorghum. You may have seen it listed as an ingredient in baking, breads, biscuits and pastries, BBQ sauce, beer, rum and even in good ol’ liquorice!

But is it low FODMAP?

FODMAP Friendly can now confirm we have tested blackstrap molasses and it is high FODMAP for excess fructose at 14g or 1 tablespoon. A smaller serve of 7g, or ½ of a tablespoon of molasses is low FODMAP.

Do you need to be concerned about Molasses on an ingredient list?

The answer to this is both yes and no. When ingredients are listed on a food label, the ingredient quantities within the product must be listed in order from largest to smallest. This means that the ingredient listed first is present in the largest amount and the ingredient listed last is present in the smallest amount.

If molasses is near the end of the ingredients list, like in bread, for example, it is unlikely that there will be enough in one or two slices to cause a FODMAP reaction. However, if it is listed as one of the first two or three ingredients, you will need to be more careful about the portion size of the food you choose to eat.

There is only a small amount of molasses added to brown sugar, and FODMAP Friendly can confirm that brown sugar is low FODMAP at 13g or about a one tablespoon serve.

Low FODMAP alternatives to use in your own kitchen: