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Authorities in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday banned a popular brand of soy sauce after tests found traces of alcohol in the Japanese condiment, state news agency WAM .

The UAE's environment ministry issued a ban on the import of Japanese-made Kikkoman soy sauce and ordered restaurants to throw out their stocks of the savoury sushi favourite.

"Several samples of the product with different production dates violated the rules," a ministry statement read.

"The decision came based on the results of tests conducted by specialised accredited laboratories, which confirmed that several samples of the product with different production dates violated the rules."

It added that only Kikkoman produced in Japan was being targeted by the ban.

Soy sauce is produced by fermenting a soybean paste - a process that can leave trace amounts of alcohol in the final product.

Islamic scholars have ruled that consuming alcohol even in trace amounts is forbidden, however, some non-conventional clerics have issued rulings allowing the consumption of intoxicants.

The UAE, unlike other Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, allow the consumption and sale of alcohol in licensed bars and shops.

Expats can obtain permits to buy alcohol from designated liquor stores for private consumption, though alcohol is freely available in hotels and pubs.

In the Emirate of Sharjah, it is completely illegal to drink.