Note:
This content was accurate at the time of posting, but it is possible that it is outdated at the time of your viewing. Please, do NOT let this information replace the advice of your doctor/allergist. ALWAYS follow their instructions and recommendations over mine.
Also,
CHECK LABELS EVERY TIME, EVEN IF YOU'VE BOUGHT A PRODUCT A MILLION TIMES BEFORE!
Ingredients change often, companies change hands, and policies change. What once was safe, can now be unsafe. For your own health and safety, please make it a habit of ALWAYS reading the ingredients of EVERYTHING before you buy it.
Also, if you notice that I have a product listed as "safe" for your particular allergen/sensitivity needs, PLEASE let me know so that I can update my information. I strive to keep things current, but I do miss things from time to time. Your help in this matter is invaluable to provide the most current information to my readers.
Thank you so much!
 |
| Image by Naypong from freedigitalphotos.net |
Because soy was one of the main things I had to learn to really look for in food (and non-food) and because it has SO many alternative names, I will list that information here. I know I was shocked to learn all these terms meant soy! It's still something I try to avoid in that I don't consider it something that was originally intended for human consumption, even though it has all these supposed health benefits. Don't hate me; just giving my opinion! Take it or leave it. :)
General Names for Soy or Soy Containing Products, and Possible Sources of Soy
1. ANYTHING with Soy, Soya, Soja, or Shoyo in the name
2. ANYTHING with Lecithin (variations on spelling) in the name*
3. ANYTHING with Vegetable, Plant, or Bean in the name*
4. ANYTHING with Guar in the name*
5. ANYTHING with Xanthan or Zanthan (variations on spellings) in the name*
6. ANYTHING with Vitamin E or Toccopherol (variations on spelling) in the name*
7. MSG (Mono Sodium Glutamate)* (Please note that the terms "yeast extract/autolyzed yeast extract" refer to natural/hidden sources of MSG without having to be labeled as MSG. Though they are NOT soy, some people with MSG sensitivities also have trouble with these ingredients. For more information, see this website or Google "natural sources of MSG" or "hidden sources of MSG".)
8. Natural and Artificial Flavor or Flavorings*
9. Tofu
10. Miso
10. Miso
11. Tempeh
12. Edamame
13. Mono-diglyceride (variations on spelling)*
14. Natto
15. Okara or Akara
16. Yuba
16. Yuba
17. Glycerin/glycerine/vegetable glycerin*
18. Tamari
19. Teriyaki*
20. Isolates*
21. Olean
22. Gum Arabic
23. Bulking Agent*
24. Carob
25. Emulsifier*
26. Protein or Proteins*
27. Protein Extender*
28. Stabilizer*
29. Starch*
30. Thickener*
31. TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)*
32. HVP (Hydrolized Vegetable Protein)*
33. Alkyd Resin Solution
34. Quaternary Ammonium Salts
35. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds, Ethyldimethylsoya Alkyl, Et Soyethyldimonium Ethosulfate
36. Dimethylsoya Ammonium Ethosulfate
37. Alkyd Resin
38. Linseed Oil, Polymer with Pentaerythritol, Phthalic Anhydride, Oil, Styrene and Vinyltoluene
39. Soyaethyl Morpholinium Ethosulfate
40. Morpholinium Compounds
41. Ethyl Sulfates
42. Soyatrimonium Chloride
43. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
44. Trimethylsoya
45. Alkyl Chlorides
46. Quaternium-9
47. PEG 5 (soy sterol)
48. PEG 10 (soy sterol)
49. PEG 16 (soy sterol)
50. PEG 25 (soy sterol)
51. PEG 30 (soy sterol)
52. PEG 40 (soy sterol)
53. Stearic acid/vegetable stearic acid or ANYTHING with stearic in the name*
54. Magnesium stearate*
55. Tyramine* (This is a naturally occuring amino acid in many foods, including soy.)
56. Abura-age (sliced deep-fried tofu)
57. Atsu-age (deep-fried tofu)
58. Gan-modoki (a soy dumpling)
59. Glycine max
60. Kinako (Japanese for soybean flour)
61. Kyodofu (freeze-dried bean curd)*
62. Nimame (stewed soybeans)
63. Shoyu
64. Uno-hana (soy pulp)
65. Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)*
66. Isolated vegetable protein*
67. Methylcellulose*
68. Monoglycerides*
69. Protein filler*
70. Caprylic Triglyceride
71. Monotriglyceride
72. Ascobyl Palmitate
73. Isostearyl Isosterate
74. Glycols
75. Tocotretrienols
76. DATEM*
77. Thiamin or Thiamine Mononitrate* (Here's a good article on Thiamine Mononitrate - Thanks for sharing, Shari!)
78. Citric Acid*
*Note: Not always do these (*)ed products contain soy, but they were included in this list for those who are highly sensitive and to be above board for those who need to be more cautious. Worth mentioning: The FDA considers soy lecithin and soybean oil to be "safe" for everyone - even those with food allergies, so occasionally those ingredients will fall under things like "natural flavors" or even be in the ingredients' label of an item marked "soy-free". Also, not all countries have the same labeling laws, so if it comes from outside of your country of origin, you'll have to be a bit more diligent about contacting manufacturers to make sure products fit your allergen needs. That being said, if you see any of the starred ingredients that don't list it's origin (i.e. vegetable oil (sunflower)), you'll want to contact the manufacturer and make sure that the food is safe for you before you consume or use it!
Please note that the food labeling in the USA has come a long way, and the FDA now requires that the top 8 major allergens be clearly marked. That means that if an item is derived from milk, eggs, seafood, fish, soy, wheat, peanuts or tree nuts, it needs to say that somewhere on the label. However, this only applies to foods produced in the USA at this time and there are some ingredients that the FDA considers "safe" for everyone - even those with food allergens. For example, as I mentioned above, soy lecithin and soy oil are considered "safe" by the FDA, so occasionally those ingredients will fall under things like "natural flavors" or even be in the ingredients' label of an item marked "soy-free". It is my hope that labeling laws will eventually be 100% transparent, but until then, calls to manufacturers need to be made from time to time, and you will need to read labels EVERY SINGLE TIME to make sure a food fits your allergen needs. This information is not meant to scare or overwhelm you, but to inform you so that you can be aware. Awareness is power, and it can help bring great change! If you ever need help with anything in regard to your or a loved one's food allergies, please don't hesitate to email me, and I'll help you find the right resources to help you on your journey.
Please note that the food labeling in the USA has come a long way, and the FDA now requires that the top 8 major allergens be clearly marked. That means that if an item is derived from milk, eggs, seafood, fish, soy, wheat, peanuts or tree nuts, it needs to say that somewhere on the label. However, this only applies to foods produced in the USA at this time and there are some ingredients that the FDA considers "safe" for everyone - even those with food allergens. For example, as I mentioned above, soy lecithin and soy oil are considered "safe" by the FDA, so occasionally those ingredients will fall under things like "natural flavors" or even be in the ingredients' label of an item marked "soy-free". It is my hope that labeling laws will eventually be 100% transparent, but until then, calls to manufacturers need to be made from time to time, and you will need to read labels EVERY SINGLE TIME to make sure a food fits your allergen needs. This information is not meant to scare or overwhelm you, but to inform you so that you can be aware. Awareness is power, and it can help bring great change! If you ever need help with anything in regard to your or a loved one's food allergies, please don't hesitate to email me, and I'll help you find the right resources to help you on your journey.
Helpful Soy-Free Links:
- Maya's Happy Place is also another good place to go for soy-free information. She keeps up with products and alternative names, so I like to check her site to make sure I haven't missed anything, and she graciously lets me share her research with you here (Thanks, Maya! :) ). Roughly half the list above is due to her research.
- Soy And Gluten Free Beauty is yet another good place to go for soy-free information, especially soy-free (and gluten-free) beauty products. She also let's me share what she finds on my site (Thanks, Sheena! :) ). Probably almost a quarter of the list above is due to her research.
- There is also some very helpful information on SoyFree.Info concerning reading labels, more detailed information on things like xanthan gum, natural flavors, etc. Definitely worth checking out!
- If you are looking for a soy-free foods list, check out this page: Soy-Free Foods List
- If you are looking for soy-free NON-foods, check out this page: Soy-Free NON-Foods List
- Great article: Required Reading With Food Allergies or Celiac Disease
- FARE (Formerly FAAN and FAI) is another a good place to keep up on the latest allergen warnings and recalls, and it has other helpful allergen information.
- There are FREE Food Allergy Cards from BrokerFish available, too, that can help you when dining out in a foreign country. Check them out!
- If you are looking to find a restaurant in your area that offers soy-free items, check out AllergyEats. This is not a guarantee, but it is a place to start! You can search for restaurants in your area by food allergen needs, so that's pretty awesome. They also give you a chance to rate restaurants, offer reviews by customers, tell you other helpful info (i.e. address, distance from you, phone number), etc. A great resource! :)
- AvoidingMilkProtein.com also has some great multiple food allergy blogs listed, as well as lots of specific info to particular food allergies. A great site for more info on avoiding allergens and finding information.
- Snack Safely is another great place to quickly check to see if your potential snack is safe or not for your allergens.
I just tried Enjoy Life's Ricemilk Crunch Bar which is free of soy, dairy, nuts and gluten and it is delicious!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information! :) I have heard a lot of great things about them and their products. I am seeing them more in the local stores, Wal-Mart, Meijers, etc. as well.
DeleteJulie,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this information! With my son being allergic to soy (...and soy is in a lot of his once favorite foods!), this list is extremely helpful! I was wondering if you knew of any meat companies who specifically use salt water to inject their chickens. We have not been able to find a commercial manufacturer who does this yet. Most I've seen, use broth. You've provided us with so much information so far, so this is our "go to" website!
I'm glad I have been able to be so helpful! I hope I can continue to be so.
DeleteAs to your question, I find that Tyson (http://www.tyson.com/Products/Our-Products/Fresh-Chicken.aspx) and Spartan brands tends to use salt-water, but places like Wal-Mart or Meijer tend to use broth depending on the cut of meat. If you are looking for a boneless/skinless type, that can be trickier, but generally I have great success with Spartan or Tyson brands. If you are looking at bone-in dark meat, I have noticed that there are more brands that don't inject those with broth. Bone-in/skin-on chicken tends to have a lot more success at being just salt-water injected. If you are looking for something in the frozen department, that is usually a no-go.
I hope that helps some! I know that buying food that is soy-free can be a real challenge! I wish you the best of luck.
Thank you, thank you!! Sorry its taken so long to respond. Tyson's is easy to find in most markets, but I will be on the lookout for Spartan as well. I'm assuming most beef is okay, correct?
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteBeef is generally fine, but you do have to watch out for marinated meats and pre-made hamburger patties and such. I still always double check any label, but beef is the easiest to find soy-free for me.
Thank you, ma'am!
ReplyDeleteAnytime. Glad to be of service. :)
DeleteI have looked through several Google pages searching for this information and you are the only one! Thank you, Thank you! I've been trying to find a connection between products and foods that make my eczema worse. Soy, in it's many forms, may be just that.
ReplyDeleteYour born-again, sister in Christ,
Angela :-)
Hello, Angela!
DeleteI'm glad I could be of help to you. The very reason you wrote is one of the reasons I created this blog. There is lots of information out there, but it's either vague or has great information on part of it and nothing on the rest, etc. This is why I've done my best to compile as much "complete" information as possible here. I do what I can to keep it current, but sometimes I don't get the information as quickly as I'd like. That's why I encourage anyone to let me know if something I have is out of date or if they have something new to add. :)
Anyway, I'm glad I was a blessing to you, and so wonderful to meet you! Let me know if you have any questions, comments, etc. and I'll do what I can to help, explain, etc.
Take care,
Julie
Just curious... and you don't have to "approve" this comment... but you look really familiar to me. Have you ever been to Camp Fairwood?
ReplyDeleteIt's likely that we've never met, but... I had to ask!
Blessings,
Angela
I have never been there, Angela. They say everyone has a "twin" out there. I actually do have a twin sister, but she's a blue-eyed blonde, so maybe I have a look-alike twin, too. :) You never know, though, it's possible we've met in passing somewhere, but not to my knowledge.
DeleteWith my son being allergic to Dairy, Soy, Wheat/Gluten, and eggs this blog has saved our family! Thank you. Those words are so empty in comparison to the gratitude I feel for the simple act of sharing information.
ReplyDeleteAubrey Brooks
Mom of Jack
Aubrey,
DeleteThose words are indeed high praise, and I feel a bit unworthy, but grateful. I'm so thrilled that I have been able to help! I wish you all the best, and let me know if I can be of any help to you in any way.
-Julie
I had no idea soy was so prevalent in our food - until I read this list and recognized so many of the words from the labels I had read. What a great resource for educating families!
ReplyDeleteI know! I felt the same way when I had to get educated about it! Blew me away!
DeleteThanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! :)
Stopping by from SITS...this is super informative! I had no idea how much of the food we eat has soy!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, leaving a comment and for the compliment! :)
DeleteIt is overwhelming, isn't it? It's in EVERYTHING! Crazy!
This list is enormous and will be going to my daughter who is soy, gluten, oat, and dairy intolerant. Thanks you for the hard work. Enjoy your SITS Day.
ReplyDeleteI hope she finds it helpful, Sheila! Thank you, and you're more than welcome! :)
DeleteWhat a great, comprehensive list. It's amazing how much you have to consider when attempting to buy non-allergenic foods.
ReplyDeleteHappy SITS Day!
Thank you! You do have to consider a lot! Really threw me for a loop when I first started researching, that's for sure!
DeleteThanks for stopping by and for the well wishes on my SITS Day! :)
Stopping by from SITS. Love all the information. Can't wait to read it more indepth and add the knowledge to my grocery shopping next trip.
ReplyDeleteBe prepared to be a bit frustrated when you go shopping for soy-free items the first time. It's in everything! Will blow your mind!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
{Melinda} Wow! You have done your research! I have allergy issues, but don't pay attention as much as I should to all the things I should avoid. It's exhausting sometimes and this list shows exactly why! I'm with Sheila -- thank you for all your hard work!
ReplyDeleteHappy SITS Day!
I know EXACTLY what you mean, Melinda! It is exhausting...but worth it! It becomes routine pretty quick, but I know it can be so frustrating! Best of luck to you, and you're welcome! Let me know if I can be of help to you in any way! :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by! :)
Good to know - thanks! I have an imperfect thyroid and think I'm supposed to err on the side of avoiding soy....
ReplyDeleteI have Hashimoto's and soy messes with my Fibro, so I avoid it. I, too, have heard that if you have any type of thyroid issue or if you've ever had breast cancer (which runs in my family) that you should avoid it as well. Guess it's because it effects hormone levels. I just know, I avoid it as much as I can!
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Hooray for Theo brand chocolates. It was during a tour of their factory in Seattle that I realized the reason chocolate made me break out was because of the soy lecithin in every other chocolate I have ever seen. (I keep an eye out for the others you list). Also, Better Oats has some flavors of instant oatmeal that don't contain soy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up on Better Oats! I will check them out and get them listed! :)
DeleteTake care, and thanks for stopping by, Kari! :)
WOW! What a list! I'm sure it will be helpful to a lot of people!!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I get emails all the time about this list. It has been a big help, and I am so glad that I am able to do it! :) It's always fun when I can add new companies to the soy-free foods list, too! :) Makes my day!
DeleteThis is ABSOLUTELY amazing Julie!!! You must have spent HOURS on this article!!! I am going to pin and share... such thorough info. You're the BEST!!! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris! You make me blush! I'm not sure how much time I've spent on it so far - I'm constantly doing research on it, and it will always be a work in progress. I am so thrilled when I hear that the info is being shared and is helping others! Makes my day! :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by! :)
Aloha,
ReplyDeleteMahalo for all of this. I discovered I was allergic to soy a little less than a year ago, and it has been an extremely difficult battle since of frustration and disappointment. I have even gone on to have contact allergy issues from the stuff. I was wondering if you had any information on non-food soys? I only know some, such as glycerine in make-up and soy fiber protein being in various fabric blends.
Thank you again for this wonderful list. I have continually scoured theinternet for things like this and am so.glad to finally find it.
Mahalo nui loa,
Tessa
Hello, Tessa.
DeleteYes, actually, I do have a Soy-Free NON-Foods page started on this site (you should be able to see the tab at the top). I hope it is of help to you. I would also suggest going to Maya's Happy Place (the link is on the Soy-Free NON-Foods page) and searching out the products she recommends. That's a place to start at the very least.
If you have anymore questions, please send me an email so that I can message you directly.
Best of luck to you!
Thank you so much for this extensive list. I have recently been reading about "yeast extract/autolyzed yeast extract" an alternative to MSG, so companies can say contains "no MSG" on the label. It should probably be added to your list of soy ingredients.
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing that out. Those ingredients are natural/hidden sources of MSG, hence the reason they are not technically added MSG so they don't have to be labeled as such, but yes, people with MSG sensitivities should avoid them. They are NOT soy, however, so that is why they were not on the list. I did add a disclaimer, though, next to the MSG so people will be aware. :)
DeleteHave you found any fast food restaurants that offer soy free foods?
ReplyDeleteIf I can be blatantly honest, I find that fast food restaurants are a nightmare for cross-contamination, even if the choice of food you get is soy-free. Also, most fast food restaurants say that items are soy-free as long as they follow the FDA rules, i.e. to the FDA soybean oil is protein-free so therefore is NOT a risk to those with soy allergies and ingredients that are vague (vegetable oil, xanthan gum, etc.) that can sometimes be sources of soy or cause issues for those with soy allergies are marked as soy-free. Even if you can find a soy-free item on the menu (most boast their fries are soy-free as well as their burgers without the bun or any other soy containting ingredients generally), you would be taking a risk at ordering the food due to cross-contamination. I have not found a restaurant that is 100% good at keeping things soy-free yet, but I have not looked thoroughly into this, but will now.
DeleteIf you are looking into eating out, salads that are just veggies and shredded cheese are generally safe bets at fast food places. However, most fast food joints have their ingredients lists available if you ask for them, and you can look at them on their web sites and a lot do share allergen info, as well, and may come up with some safe options to try that way. Just be warned that if you have a severe sensitivity to soy that you will STILL need to ask if soybean oil is used in their cooking and if you see ingredients like xanthan gum, you will have to ask if they use a soy-free source. The frustrating thing is that they will NOT know more often than not, so you will have to do your own research.
This is the best answer I can give you for now, but I will be looking more into this.
I have found Five Guys Burger and Fries fast food restaurant to be awesome if your intolerance is only soy or soy & wheat (if you are allergic to peanut, stay away!!). They cut all their own fries in-store and the only thing in their fryer is the fries and peanut oil. They have an "allergy" button and you can have your Burger with silverware in a boat or in a lettuce wrap. A gazillion toppings, too, so it's easy to find something while avoiding the mayo :)
DeleteThanks for that tip, Christina! I had heard great things about Five Guys, too. :)
DeleteYou and your readers may also want to read up on Tyramine. Tyramine is a naturally occuring amino acid in many foods, including Soy. Foods containing Soy and/or Tyramine are known migraine triggers.
ReplyDeleteIf they are avoiding soy for migraine, this is a great piece of information to know, thank you! It would be good for them to know, too, if they are still dealing with allergic-type reactions to food that don't contain soy along with soy containing foods, and are struggling to find the cause. I'm sure it is possible to be allergic to both. Thanks for the info and for stopping by! :)
DeleteThis is an amazing blog! I really enjoyed reading this post its so helpful! I have a soy and gluten allergy and its so difficult to find foods without these hidden ingredients! Thanks so much! Check out my blog as well its about soy and gluten free beauty products!
ReplyDeleteAll the best! :)
http://soyandglutenfreebeauty.wordpress.com/
Thank you, Sheena! I most definitely will check out your blog and add it to my reading list and to my Soy-Free Non-Foods page and the gluten-free page, too. It will be very helpful to a lot of people! Glad you stopped by and looking forward to getting to know you! :)
DeleteHi there there1 I am allergic to milk & soy makes me get stomach cramps & pain. I am interested in reading your blogs.
ReplyDeleteWell, I hope you find my blog very helpful! Feel free to email me at any time with any questions or concerns or recipe requests, and I'll see what I can do to help. :) Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteI am very thankful for your precise details. I have never observed about macaroni and spaghetti. Julie has done a deep research and I am energize with plenty full alternatives. I will try one by one best cooking recipes and enrich my plate with healthy food.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you find this information helpful! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteMy friend and I are both allergic to soy (she's also gluten-free), and we both get terrible stomach aches from eggs, even if they're just cooked in water, without any seasoning. Most chicken feed does contains soy. Unfortunately, even at health food stores, egg or meat labels rarely mention what the animals are fed. (Although sometimes eggs will be listed as from chickens that are fed 100% organic, vegetarian diets, they won't list WHAT that vegetarian diet contains.) So even if you don't technically have an egg allergy, if you're sensitive to the smallest traces of soy (like me) and seem to have trouble with eggs, the chickens' food could be the culprit.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information! I have heard of a few people that have to make sure that their eggs come from a local and/or trusted soy-free source, as well as their chickens. I am lucky to live in an area that has the possibility, but I know a lot of people don't. It is my hope that one day the labels for chicken and eggs will be a whole lot better AND that truly soy-free diet chickens and eggs will be readily available for all!
Deletethank you so much for this. I have such a severe soy allergy that it now puts me in the hospital for eating it. I have been looking for a good website that has suggestions and this definitely helped me
ReplyDeleteI am so glad this has been a help to you! You just made my day. :) Feel free to email me at any time if you need help finding more information. I am here to help!
DeleteThank you SO MUCH! I just bookmarked this website/list. Like another person said above it is hard to find websites that give a lot of information, most is very vague and I was looking for a list to help me get started in converting my family away from soy the best we can! We are a family of 3 on a budget and I assumed buying non-gmo was enough when I could, absolutely not I recently learned about the real dangers of Soy and have hypothyroidism and would like to make sure I can feed my family the healthiest way possible. I was SHOCKED to check my fridge to find almost every single food in there had soy in it! It's really sad.
ReplyDeleteI do have a question for you, do you know of any stores online we could buy non-gmo/soy free foods that are reasonable and reputable?
We live in North eastern Ky (bible belt) and unfortunately we are VERY limited on where we can buy (krogers, walmart) and think maybe starting to buy some things online and then stocking up on what we like slowly, but I'm having a hard time finding a store online!
Once again thank you so much for this website!
You are so welcome, Kelly, and thanks so much for stopping by! :)
DeleteAs to your question, you should be able to find quite a bit at Kroger and Walmart as far as pasta, pasta sauce, some juices, fruits/veggies, even Enjoy Life chocolate chips, flour and other baking goods, etc. since these stores do tend to carry at least one type of non-GMO/organic/soy-free type of most things (If you have a Meijer, they have a lot of the types of items you are looking for for less, too.). Where the real problem surfaces tends to be with meat.
I have not done a lot of shopping online in any form, but I do know that a lot of people use Amazon and look for trusted names like Enjoy Life and that sort of thing. You can normally even Google a brand name you know is good and see if they have a site where you can direct order from, and a lot do. I would also encourage you to look into local, organic farms. You'd be surprised how many there are out there! You should be able to find grass fed beef, non-GMO fruits and veggies, and a few other things as well. It can get pricey, but once you get the hang of it and get your staples, the price goes down considerably, especially if you buy seasonally.
If you need more help finding things, I would strongly suggest going to Whole New Mom (http://wholenewmom.com/ ), Completely Nourished (http://completelynourished.com/ ), Maya's Happy Place (http://mayashappyplace.blogspot.com/), and just about any other of my foodie/allergy friends' blogs below (listed under "Food/Allergy Blogs and Sites I Follow") and ask them where they shop or for some tips. A lot of them shop online or know of some great places to go and have lots of amazing tips. They can probably help you a lot more than I can. :)
Feel free to email me or leave me another note here, though, if I can be of any further help! Best of luck to you! :)
OK My fellow soy-free foodies, who misses Asian cuisine??! I DO. Well, I found soy-free "soy sauce". No, that isn't a typo.. It's called "Raw Coconut Aminos Soy-Free Seasoning Sauce" from the brand "Coconut Secret". I get it from my local health food store and its the bomb! I made stir fry for the whole family and didn't tell anyone there was no soy sauce in it. It was gone in minutes. Surprisingly, it doesn't taste like coconut or at least I couldn't detect it but I love coconut so this wasn't a concern for me. I'm going to make teriyaki sauce out of it next time I get the chance. I'll let you guys know how that turns out. Just thought I'd spread the love. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, Bella! I will have to check them out and see what I can add to my list above. :)
DeleteJust wanted to let you know that all fresh fruits are not soy free. Only organic ones are. Soy wax and or oil is used on non-organic fruits to make them look pretty and shiny.
ReplyDeleteNot all non-organic fruit uses fruit wax or oil, but you are right that some do. Also, not all food waxes/oils contain soy, either. Some soy-allergic/sensitive people can consume fruit that has has wax/oil with the peel without issue, and most can eat those fruits peeled without issue. However, I do know that some people cannot eat those waxes/oils regardless, and I have been seeing it more often here, too. I will make sure to put some extra notes on the list, though. Thanks for reminding me! :)
Deletethanks
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! :)
DeleteI contacted King Arthur and asked if the flour(s) were soy free. I was told that they can't guarantee that the products don't contain soy. I can post their if needed.Gluten free does not mean it's soy free.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know. I had also emailed them about their flours, and I'm assuming they told you this because they do use xanthan gum in some of their products and they could not guarentee that their xanthan gum was soy-free. Also, I did notice that some of their mixes contain soy, but they are clearly marked. I am assuming that, no matter how careful they may be, they know that cross contamination sometimes happens anyway. I'm glad that they would rather have you safe than sorry, honestly. I will definitely note that they cannot guarantee the soy-free status of their products above. Thanks so much!
DeleteThank you for all your research and for sharing the results! So helpful.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Happy to help! :)
DeleteI can't thank you enough for the information that you have provided. I developed a hypersensitivity to soy (have a reaction to both the protein and oil either by ingestion or contact) about 3 years ago and it took the better part of a year to come to that diagnosis and almost another year to go through all of my medications, household products, health and beauty products and just everything that you come into contact with every day. Probably the most shocking thing is that there is not an antihistamine other than Benadryl Liquid Gels on the market that does not contain soy. Wait there is the children's Xyzal that tastes like nasty baseball card bubble gum. So that leaves me taking a liquid form of Atarax (antidepressant) that has a side affect of being an antihistamine. I have to say that I feel better than I have in years and in many ways am healthier. I have been very blessed to have a compounding pharmacist that has gone above and beyond helping me to find medications and supplements that will work for me with my condition.
ReplyDeleteI have periodically looked for cosmetics but have not been very successful in the area of mascara and lip color. Even the organic and natural products that you see out there almost all contain Vitamin E or tocopherol.
Probably the most annoying thing is when you go to a restaurant and say you have a soy allergy and say you can't have anything with vegetable oil and they say "Oh you have that gluten thing". Most times the chef can fix something up for me and I have come to enjoy just squeezing lemon on my salad and avoiding the soy oil based dressings that are in most restaurants.
I am rambling but once more what to thank you for all of the work that you have put into this blog and all of the information that you have here. I have passed this on to so many people.
God Bless!
You made my day, and I TOTALLY get what you're saying about the restaurants! I had very similar things happen with me. It would be laughable if it wasn't so sad.
DeleteI do have a soy-free non-food items page, too (which you may or may not realize), and I'm going to add some of the helpful information you put in your comment there. :)
Feel free to email me or leave me a comment if ever you need help finding anything. I will do what I can to help. :) And, please, if you know of any good resources or information that I can pass on to my readers, feel free to share.
Thank you for your encouraging comment, and I hope you have an amazing day!
"Probably the most shocking thing is that there is not an antihistamine other than Benadryl Liquid Gels on the market that does not contain soy. Wait there is the children's Xyzal that tastes like nasty baseball card bubble gum."
DeleteIs this true? Allegra, Zyrtec? they contain soy?
So antihistamines have soy? Including allergra, zyrtec etc? i saw anonymous sau that only benadryl liquid gels are the only ones without soy?
DeleteYes, Courtney. A lot (and by a lot, I mean most as far as I have seen) of antihistamines, vitamins, prescription meds, etc. contain soy. It is very important that you talk to your allergist about which ones are safe for you. Some people can handle taking the ones that have xanthan gum, soy oil, soy lecithin, etc. in them and others cannot. It can be a real nightmare to find safe non-food items if you have a soy allergy/sensitivity.
DeleteFrom my soy allergy FB group, I've learned that Target's Up and Up brand version of Benadryl is safe. My son's allergist has him on liquid Allegra, Atarax and has me giving him Benadryl for eczema issues. The Allegra is concerning to me now...
DeleteThank you for this information! I will add it to my Soy-Free NON-foods List.
DeleteI have checked this link this is really important for the people to get benefit from.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sheamus!
Delete4/21/15: Someone posted the following: "44. Soy Free Sales sells some French chocolate that is soy-free. Again, I don't know how easy they are to get outside of online. Apparently chocolate made in countries outside of the USA is more likely to be soy-free."
ReplyDeleteOUR REPLY: ALL OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE FREE OF SOY, PEANUTS AND TREENUTS. MUCH OF OUR PRODUCTS ARE FREE OF GLUTEN AND DAIRY. WE SELL CHOCOLATE FROM THE USA, AS WELL AS FROM FRANCE. WE CO-PRODUCE MINI CHIPS THAT ARE FREE OF ALL KNOWN ALLERGENS! WE ALSO PRODUCE HOLIDAY CHOCOLATE LIKE SANTAS, EASTER RABBITS, ETC. THAT ARE FREE OF ALL KNOWN ALLERGENS! Also, the link on this page does not connect to our company, and is not working. Please go to: www.soyfreesales.com. WE SHIP IN HOT WEATHER, TOO. It is extremely easy to order online, and you will receive your chocolate or candy within 3 days.
Thank you for the updated information. I have updated the link, and the information on my list. Let me know if there are problems in future with the link not connecting properly or some updated information that I need to add/change, and I'll gladly fix it. :)
DeleteYou have a good list here. A new product that is being put into foods that can be made of soy is DATEM. It's spelled out in caps and after getting a headache after having an English muffin I looked it up to find it can be soy based. It's basically a fat with one part of the far removed so they don't have to include it in the fat calories!
ReplyDeleteThanks for listing all of this.
I wish the law would just change things so they have to say what the ingredient is right up front! Just a simple statement of "Soy" instead of using a 25 letter word or whatever in their ingredients.
DeleteThank you for letting me know! I will add it to my list!
DeleteTana, I agree with you!
DeleteI recently discovered I'm very sensitive to soy. I also discovered Thiamin Mononitrate is made from corn or soy. I found this out by eating Minute Maid white rice, which claimed it was soy free. I thought.. Great! I ate it and got a horrible stomach ache. I was confused so I did research, and found out one of their ingredients COULD be made from corn or soy, which is Thiamin Mononitrate. I didn't notice it on your list, so I posted it here. Hope I helped.
ReplyDeleteThank you for letting me know! I will get it added!
DeleteI just discovered through stomach ache and research that thiamin mononitrate can be made from corn or soy. Minute Maid white rice is supposedly soy free, but ended up giving me a stomach ache. I researched and found out the above information. Hope this helps some people. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks again, Tana! :)
DeleteMSG gives me gall bladder attacks. I just ate a can of Bush's beans - figuring it was good ingredients - and got an attack. No MSG, but I see from your page that it has Autolyzed Yeast Extract and that does have MSG in it. One more phony food to cross off my list. MSG is a sign of rotten cooking and bad ingredients, since it can make dirt taste good ;')
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this list helped you find the source of your issue. That's what it is here for. :) I'd like to see MSG in all its forms go away, too, as it causes problems for most people. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteWhat about citric acid? I thought that was a source of soy as well?
ReplyDeleteI had not heard that, so I looked it up. It *can* be, but it doesn't have to be. I will add it to my list. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
DeleteThank you very much for this information. I was just diagnosed via blood test a soy allergy and I was so relieved to see Nestle Dark Chocolate morsels on the list as I love dark chocolate! I also found your emails from companies and other info very helpful. I've begun emailing companies as well, inspired by your aggressive stance on a soy free life, thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I'm so glad to have been a help to you and an inspiration. That was the goal of this blog. :)
DeleteJust an FYI: You're best bet for chocolate chips is Enjoy Life over Nestle, if I can be very frank. Enjoy Life has a Dark Chocolate morsel that is free of all the top 8 allergens, non-GMO and very good. They also have more certifications and procedures to ensure product safety. So, if you find that you have an issue with Nestle from time to time, I encourage you to check out Enjoy Life. They are great! :)
Please feel free to email me if you need help finding out any information. I'm more than happy to help!
This list has been lifechanging!! My first LO had severe dairy/soy allergies and my second (turning 1 tomorrow) also has a dairy/soy intolerance. I remember with my first I felt STARVING ALL THE TIME because it was so hard to find foods that I could eat aside from fruits and veggies while breastfeeding since I've had to cut out even hidden dairy and soy. Panera Bread restaurant makes their bread from scratch and many of them are dairy/soy free...and they sell whole loaves for barely more than the bakery at the grocery store. That also means you can get a sandwich there as long as it's without condiments and cheese. Also, I stumbled upon shakeology protein shakes from a friend that have been lifechanging for me. The vegan shakes are dairy and soy free and also have over 70 superfoods like kale, etc. in them. And they're shockingly delish. If you sign up as a coach you save $30 per bag. www.shakeology.com/drinkyourveggies
ReplyDeleteI am so glad the list has helped you. I had heard good things about Panera Bread and Shakeology. I am glad they work for you! :)
DeleteOh I'd just like to clarify - the VEGAN shakes are the ones that are dairy-free. I'd hate for anyone to accidentally purchase the regular shakes which use whey protein. Panera Bread is the best!! Also, I found a few things at Trader Joe's grocery store that didn't have any hidden dairy or soy (including all forms).
DeleteNice! Thank you for clarifying! :)
DeleteQuorns is pretty good. But it makes me poo. It says on the label that it uses an algae or something that irritates some peoples stomachs. It bothered me like I was having mini lactose intolerance episode.
ReplyDeleteI had to look them up to see what was in it. Here's what I found on their website (http://www.quorn.com/intolerance/): "Can I be intolerant to Quorn?
Delete'Quorn™ products have been eaten for more than 30 years with nearly 3 billion Quorn meals now served.
However, it’s important to know that Quorn foods can contain allergens, such as egg, milk and gluten. These are clearly marked on the back of pack within the ingredient declaration and the allergy advice section.
There have been rare cases of allergic reactions to products which contain mycoprotein, a member of the fungi / mould family (fusarium venenatum). Mycoprotein is high in protein and fibre which may cause intolerance in some people.
The foods standards agency states that 'research estimates that between 1 in 100,000 to 200,000 people will react to it' (Quorn ™ products).
All protein foods have the potential to cause an adverse reaction in some consumers. About one in 200 people are thought to be intolerant to soya for example.'"
Carrageenan, SUCRALOSE, Potassium Sorbate, Malic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Gellan Gum and Modified Milk Ingredients
ReplyDeleteThese are all in my Silhouette, Danone Yogurt, please advise if these contain soy.
It is impossible to tell you 100% for sure if there is no soy in your yogurt UNLESS it says that is certified soy-free on the label. Though the items you listed don't appear to contain soy, the only one who can tell you that for certain is the manufacturer. You will have to call them to confirm or look for a soy-free listing on the label. I looked for an allergen statement on the web and was unable to find one. Best of luck!
DeleteHello! Thanks for the detail. Living with a severe soy allergy has drastically changed my life. Researching medications (like alka seltzer cold formula) I found your blog. I just want to share that additional foods I struggle to eat because of soy are eggs (common with my other soy intolerant friends) unless from soy free feed farms and enriched flour. Not all flour is marked and there is often cross contamination. Food for thought http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/thiamine-mononitrate-soy-allergy/ love, shari
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, Shari! I have added Thiamine Mononitrate to the list as a possible source of soy and linked that article as well. I have heard that about eggs, too, hence the reason I put a note up there in my list of soy-free foods. You're right that not all flour is marked properly, so you definitely have to find a good brand that you can trust.
DeleteThank you so much!!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! :)
DeleteGood job, really awesome posts shared by you
ReplyDeleteThanks! I appreciate that. :)
DeleteJust found your blog. Very helpful. You've really put a lot of work into it. Hats off to you. I'm allergic to soy terribly and have concerns about Soy Transfer Web site is Phoenixorganicfeed.com Pretty interesting read.
ReplyDeleteThanx for all of your hard work
Jen
Thanks, Jen. I hope this blog is a help to you. :) Best of luck! Feel free to email me at any time with any questions, and I will do what I can to help.
DeleteI find my self back on your blog again. It has been so very helpful. And you are right, ALWAYS check ingredients. They change them all the time to save money I suppose. You Have really worked your tail off putting all of this together. A bit of information that was Very helpful to me. Concentrate on the things you use on a daily basis. Went thru my supplements and vitamins and half of them were loaded with Soy. I believe this is going to make a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteJen
I'm so glad it has been helpful to you, Jen. Yes, check, double check, and triple check ingredients ALWAYS - even if you've bought the item a million times before. Ingredients change way too often.
DeleteI agree - start with the items you use the most, including vitamins/supplements, and non-food items. Soy is in a LOT of vitamins. Puritan's Pride *does* have quite a few soy-free options, in case you need to find some soy-free ones still.
Best of luck to you, and please feel free to email me at any time if you need help finding anything. I'll do what I can to help. :)
Here I am Again. Trying to figure out a way to put your list of Soy alternative Names on my phone. And, Was wondering if your list of 1-78 is in order of Worst forms of Soy to Least being at the bottom of the list. Still working on getting myself used to all this as it is faily complicated. Once again, Thank You for all your hard work. It has been So helpful.
ReplyDeleteJen
Unfortunately they aren't in any real order. They are more in the order I was made aware than anything else. If you want to find what is always soy, look for the items WITHOUT a star. Those are the ones that you MUST avoid. Anything with a star (*) are just POSSIBLE sources of soy, so you have to check the label to see if it says soy-free or says the source is non-soy, or you have to speak with the manufacturer to see if it's soy-free. It's a little easier now than it used to be as if the source is in the top 8 allergens, it has to be listed by law. HOWEVER, the FDA says that soybean oil and soy lecithin are "safe" for "most" people with soy allergy, so be on the look out for "vegetable oil" or "lecithin" or "natural flavors" especially. Also, non-food items do NOT have to list allergens by their name, so this is where the technical names are more useful. I hope that helps you out a bit! I know how hard all this is. Hang in there, and feel free to contact me any time, and I'll do what I can to help! :)
DeleteI have found two things...Nestlé imports a chocolate bar called Aero from England that uses no soy that I have found (at least, none that I react to). They use sunflower lecithin and other vegetable fats (can't remember off the top of my head which) instead of soy.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, purchasing honey is a total coin toss for me. From what I have learned, depending on what the bees harvested their pollen from, I will or will not react. Had to let go of a delightful jar of honey butter because of this dismaying ingredients discovery!
I hadn't thought about that with honey! I will update my list. Thanks, Christina! :)
Deletesunchips are made by the same company that makes sun butter who has admitted to me, their source of VIT E comes from Soy, they are not SOY FREE
ReplyDeleteI am deathly allergic to ALL soy, lecithin, refined soybean oil, I started off being able to have lecithin, but then it landed me in the ER.
Be careful what you eat, not every one actually labels their products the way they need to
I can't eat foods manufactured in the same or shared equipment
If any one knows of soy free facilities please post them here, I haven't eaten processed foods in a year because I can't seem to find non junk food facilities, I want real foods, like i want to find Beans and Rice that aren't manufactured around soy , not chips and crackers, but real food
Labels are such a nightmare at times! You definitely find companies you can trust and not trust after a bit when it comes to labels, and I always hate when a good company changes hands, because that normally means it's a guessing game again in regards to labels. I will always be fighting for truth in labeling (every ingredient, every time, in any amount, in standard terms vs. scientific). I think that's the smartest thing to do and the safest.
DeleteAll forms of soy make me ill, but not all to the same degree, so I understand completely how you feel. I am glad that I am not allergic, and I definitely feel for you. I am truly sorry that you have to go through that! It is terrifying when you can't trust food to be safe (I've been there).
I do not of know any truly soy-free facilities other than maybe Enjoy Life. You'd have to contact them directly to see what their procedures are and if they fit your situation with your sensitivities. I wish I could tell you of one that makes what you are looking for off the top of my head, but I don't know of one. Unfortunately, it is most likely that you have to make what you really want from scratch still. I have to do that a lot, and am going more and more back to it daily. Safer and healthier that way. That being said, I'd still contact Enjoy Life, even though they don't do "real food" exactly. They may be able to tell you of a good company to contact.
I would also recommend googling "soy free bloggers" and message some of them to see if they know of a company. I wish I knew of one, but I honestly don't. I know of several for chips, ingredients, and such, but nothing for "processed meals" like what you are looking for at this time. Some claim soy-free, but they also contain lecithin and the like, so it can be so misleading and discouraging. I wish you luck, and if you DO find one, PLEASE let me know! I will share if I hear of one, too.
Thank you so much for all this information! I am breastfeeding my son with a soy intolerance so this has been so helpful. It's crazy how many "hidden" forms of soy there are! Have you found any jelly that is definitely soy free? I wanted to try Smuckers but there is "citric acid"... wasn't sure if O should stay away. Also, are Udis / Rudis breads definitely soy-free? They say they are but there are ingredients like Xantan Gum and Guar Gum. Same with Daya (Daia?) products... can we trust they definitely don't have soy derivatives?
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome! I'm glad that the list has been helpful. There are a lot of hidden forms of soy, for sure, but thankfully labeling has gotten better.
DeleteNot knowing the true nature of your son's condition (i.e. the type of reaction he has), it would be hard for me to recommend anything without at least a small degree of hesitation. I can tell you that as far as I can see, those products (Smucker's Natural, Udi's/Rudi's, Daiya) that claim to be soy-free are if you don't see the word soy on their labels anywhere, BUT I cannot guarantee that they don't contain an FDA approved "safe" form of soy under their xanthan gum label and such. I would recommend that you contact them directly and ask them because they can give you far better detailed information and answer more of your questions than I can, and talk to his pediatrician/allergist about those products. If you are satisfied with the companies' and/or doctor's answers, then by all means try them. If not, stay away for now, and please let me know!
Know this, though, that the companies you site are ones that most people trust to be honest in their labeling policies. I always have, but my soy issue is an intolerance not an allergy, and my reaction if I have soy is minimal compared to most, so it is easier for me in some ways to believe a label and try it out (FYI - I've never had an issue with Smucker's Natural which is the only jelly I buy, and have not had an issue with Udi's the little I've had it, and I've never tried the other 2, but know people who have and enjoy them without issue). There are companies out there that claim soy-free that clearly have soy in their product, and it is normally soybean oil. Those are the ones who I steer clear of and avoid like a hawk. The ones I find that I can trust, I praise to the hilt, including writing them a letter, because that keeps them wanting to keep their products safe for those with food allergies and intolerances. I encourage you to do the same.
If you have any issues finding the answers you need, please feel free to contact me again, and I'll do what I can to help you track down those answers. I know all of those companies have websites with allergen information on them, so start there and go from there.
Best of luck!
Thank you so much!! It is good to know that those are reputable companies. I will let you know though if I encounter any issues. Being totally soy-free has been sooo tough!
DeleteYou are so very welcome! Glad I could help a little.
DeleteIt is tough being soy-free. It gets easier as more companies realize the need for transparency and desire to offer foods to those of us with food allergies and sensitivities. It's amazing the difference between years ago and today. It is my hope that one day they will label every ingredient in every label every time no matter how much of each ingredient is in the product, and let the individual (not the FDA) decide how much of something is too much for themselves. Time will tell!
Thank you for agreeing to let me know if you have any issues with those products. They do have good reputations for now, and I hope they keep them!
Best of luck!
Please let me know if you need any further assistance. I'll do what I can to help.
Hi. Thanks for making the page. I thought I should tell you about what I learned about flour. Both my mother and I are allergic to soy. We've had the allergy for over a decade now. We are both very sensitive to it. Well we were making stuff from flour and we were both itching like crazy! Often I would scratch until I bled. Well I discovered that virtually all commercial made flour can contain soy and it doesn't have to be on the label. Wheat flour can contain up to ten percent of any other grains and no need to be on the label. They call it an Agriculture Commodity. I found numerous essays / articles online that talk about this. The government actually told them not to put a warning on the flour as then people would "unnecessary cut out food they could eat". From what I read, this is true of the US, Canada and the UK. One was a really long pdf about this. From what I understand, the cross contamination happens on the farm so the soy is already in the wheat when it gets to the mill.
ReplyDeleteBefore me and my mom could eat flour without an issue, but I guess we got a lot more sensitive. Whole wheat flour would contain a lot more soy than the all purpose flour we had been buying. Good thing we never bought any of that! I think it's wrong it's not on the label. For some, there is no safe level of an allergen.
You should be able to find the pages if you do a search for soy in wheat flour. Even worse the FSMA will not have an affect on this at all.
Sarah
Thanks for letting me know, Sarah! Food labeling can be so misleading, can't it? I hate that it can't be more trusted. I have found that it is so hard to find truly trusted brands. Once I do find them, I praise them to the hilt! I will add a note to my list about flour, and definitely let me know if there is a brand that you do well with. I have never had an issue with King Arthur flour, but my issue is a sensitivity vs. an allergy, so I have a feeling that may make the difference. Definitely want people with soy allergies to be safe, though, and I will be adding that note! Thanks again!
DeleteI have not found any flour I can eat without scratching like crazy. The only grain I can eat is quinoa. I think I can eat it because it has to grow at a high altitude, while all of the other grains are grown in typical farm fields. I also think me and my mom are at the end of the allergy curve, with hyper sensitive. The longer we avoid soy, the more sensitive we get. Nothing to be done about it. I pretty much gave up on flour.
DeleteI do a little baking with quinoa. We use the Organic Great Value brand from Walmart. It's safe.
We also react to most pasta. I think it's cross contaminated too. Can't eat or touch USA pasta. I found a safe brand for us that's imported from Italy. It's called Fabianelli. Apparently Italy is not big on soy like the USA is. We have a supermarket here that sells it. It allows us to eat pasta again.
Took me awhile to find out about the pasta too. I think the problem with USA pasta is the same as with the flour: from farm equipment and such. If you are sensitive enough, you react to those little bits. Wish I could dial down the sensitivity but don't know how.
I've made stuff like banana bread and pumpkin pie using quinoa. I have to presume that all other USA grown grain are cross contaminated. My mom got really itchy from touching oats so it must be in there too.
We are basically living on safe meat, veggies, milk, a few fruits like bananas, the quinoa, water. Lost a lot of weight and down to being XS now with a AA foot. Trying to find AA footwear for walking is a nightmare!
Hello, Sarah.
DeleteThank you for sharing.
That sounds awful! I'm sorry that you have such trouble with flour. I do have to wonder if it is the grain or the pesticides. If you've tried all brands (including organic), then I would definitely agree that this is cross-contact issues with the soy. Either way, you bring out a good point - some people can react to just the smallest traces of soy. This is why I am so against our current FDA policy that soybean oil and soy lecithin are "safe", and that products containing those things don't have to be labeled as containing soy. Drives me nutty!
I will make sure to note above about grains and cross-contact, however.
Thanks again!
I have found all the information so informative as recent discovery of a Soy allergy. This adds to the dairy, egg, and several other food allergies. I have been looking to find a multi-vitamin and it says at the time of "Manufactured" No Artificial Color, No Artificial Flavor, No Artificial Sweetener, No Preservatives, No Sugar, No Starch, No Milk, No Lactose, No Soy, No Gluten, No Wheat, No Fish. Sodium Free. Both say Gelatin under ingredients. I'm still waiting to here back for the company but if anyone knows of a multi-vitamin and probiotic that is not only soy but dairy free that would be great! I could go with having them made but prefer to not have to do that. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that this blog has been helpful to you! Have you looked at my Soy-Free NON-Foods page? There are some vitamins listed there. Also, check out Puritan's Pride for vitamins and supplements. They are great about having allergy-friendly items at great prices! Hope this helps! Best of luck to you!
DeleteHey people. Lays wrote me a response to my question if their ingredient 'vegetable oil' could be soy oil, and it turns out that any item on their list 'CANADIAN Products Not Containing Soy Ingredients' from their website, can contain soy oil as an ingredient. They explained that since soy oil does not contain the allergen which is the protein it was not an issue. I alerted them to the fact that their page says 'not containing soy ingredients' not 'not containing soy allergens or protein'. Soy oil is a soy ingredient, which makes their list dangerous and misleading to folks avoiding soy oil. Unsavoury practices!
ReplyDeleteThis is a nightmare all across the board when it comes to soybean oil. The FDA considers soybean oil "safe" for the very reasons Lay's told you. I disagree, and most others do, too. This is why I always advocate for full disclosure on labeling, and I do hope you wrote them back and expressed your concern and disappointment as that is the only way they will know that their philosophy needs to change in regards to labeling their products.
DeleteI added a disclaimer above in the chip section, and reminded everyone that vegetable oil without further explanation is a very dangerous term for those who need to avoid soy. Thanks for the reminder!
Hi. It's me again. Thanks for making the website. I have a few things to report. The first is to be careful what meat you buy. We have a supermarket here that cuts up frozen turkeys Luke Jennie-o and sells them as different pieces. They don't put the fact the neat has been soaked in natural flavors on the packaging. The butcher admitted it to me when I asked.
ReplyDeleteThe second thing is I found I cannot eat any carrots from California anymore. Tried several brands. The cal-organic made me itch like crazy for 3 days from a tiny one-and-one-half inch piece. I emailed them and they say they use a soybean based fertilizer on the carrots. Clearly this is what I'm reacting to. I can eat local carrots grown by Hmong farmers ok, so no carrot allergy. But this is getting very annoying as now the soy is even on raw unwaxed produce! I admit I'm hyper sensitive to soy, but I need to eat too. I get tired of giving up more and more food. I cannot find a commercial grown carrot I can eat and I'm scared to try various brands as I don't want anaphylaxis. The carrots made me scratch until my skin was bleeding.
Cal-organic told me they would stop using it on the carrots, but I'm sure the soil is full of soy. When will it go out of the soil? No studies have been done so no one knows.
It took me a long time to realize it was the carrots!!!
Hello, Sarah.
DeleteThat is frustrating for sure! With all the regulation California has, I'm very surprised by that, to be honest. I am going to make a note about fertilizers above.
I have a feeling it would take years to get the fertilizers out of the soil and maybe even the water supply. It would be nice if they did a study on that! I'd definitely like to know.
Also, you may indeed have to start growing your own produce if you keep finding that you are reacting to store-bought produce. I know that is another inconvenience, but it may be worth it to gain a few more foods.
I wish you all the best, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. Take care!