Soya-Free Diet

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The basics

The soya-free diet is eaten by people who are allergic to soya, one of the most common food allergies in babies, young children, and adults. These people are required to eliminate all foods that contain soya or soya products in order to avoid unpleasant allergic reactions. Most people who are allergic to soya are allergic to the protein in soya. Soya oil and soya lecithin pose little risk of causing an allergic reaction in most, although not all, soya-allergic people because processing removes almost all the protein.

  • Read labels carefully to determine if a soya product is included and avoid any food you’re not sure about until you are able to verify that it is soya-free.
  • Learn the technical and scientific terms for soya so you can recognise them on food labels: tofu, edamame, miso, tempeh, momodiglyceride, textured vegetable protein, soya protein isolate, and so forth.
  • Ask at restaurants and at others’ homes to be sure the food you are being served is soya-free.

Best bets: Look for non-soy protein sources such as vegetable burgers (be careful to read the label—not all of these will be soya-free), wheat gluten, seitan, and meat products, and cow’s milk, rice milk, and almond milk.

What are the symptoms?

Soya allergy symptoms may include any of the common symptoms of food allergies, including skin rashes or hives, gastro-intestinal distress, breathing problems, or many other possible symptoms. In severe cases, a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis may occur, though such a severe reaction to soya is quite rare.

What do I need to avoid?

To avoid soya and soya products ask about ingredients at restaurants and others’ homes, read food labels, and become familiar with the technical or scientific terms for soya. The following list is not complete. Consult with a healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet.

  • Green soybeans (edamame)
  • Hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP)
  • Baby formulas, soya-based
  • Lecithin (extracted from soya oil, though safe for a majority of soya-allergic people)
  • Meat alternatives (meat analogs)
  • Miso
  • Natto
  • Non-dairy soya frozen dessert
  • Oyster sauce (most brands contain soya protein)
  • Soya cheese
  • Soya fibre
  • Okara
  • Soya bran
  • Soya isolate fibre (also known as structured protein fibre [SPF])
  • Soya flour (used in most muffins, some doughnuts, many breads, and other bakery goods)
  • Soya grits
  • Soya protein concentrate
  • Soya protein isolates (isolated soya protein)
  • Soya protein, textured
  • Textured soya flour (TSF)
  • Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
  • Tuna (canned, “packed in water”—read the fine print: most contain vegetable broth, which is made from soybeans)
  • Soya sauce (tamari, shoyu, teriyaki sauce)
  • Soya yoghurt
  • Soya beans, whole
  • Soya milk and drinks
  • Soya nut butter
  • Soya nuts
  • Soya oil (though safe for a majority of soya-allergic people)
  • Sprouts, soya
  • Tempeh
  • Tofu and tofu products
  • Vegetable broth (frequently contains hydrolysed vegetable protein from soya)
  • Whipped toppings, soya-based
  • Yuba
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Best bets

Many soya-free alternatives to meat are available today. The Internet is a good place to get recipes and learn how to cook with these foods. Some helpful resources are listed below.

Vegetable and grain alternatives:

Some manufactured vegetarian products, such as “veggie” burgers, are made with vegetables and grains instead of soya protein. However, it is important to read labels to be sure no soya has been added to the product. These products may contain any combination of vegetables and grains, such as oats, rice, wheat, garbanzo beans, mushrooms, potatoes, corn, lima beans, green beans, peas, carrots, nuts, and others.

Gluten and seitan:

Wheat gluten is made when wheat flour is mixed with water and kneaded, and then is processed to remove the starch and bran. The result is a high-protein, low-fat food. Wheat gluten and seitan (a form of wheat gluten) can be used in sandwiches, soups, and stir frys, as “steaks,” and as a meat replacement in many other dishes. These products can be found in the refrigerated section of most health food stores, near the tofu.

Soya-free milk:

If you are not a vegan, allergic to milk protein, or lactose intolerant, cow’s milk is always an option. Low-lactose whey milk may be suitable for some lactose-intolerant individuals, but not for those with allergies. Some people are allergic to both soya and cow’s milk protein. Rice milk and almond milk are two dairy-free /soya-free milk alternatives.

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Are there any groups or books?

American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child’s Allergies and Asthma: Breathing Easy and Bringing Up Healthy, Active Children by Michael J. Welch, MD. New York: Villard Books, 2000.

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
www.aaaai.org

Food Allergy Network
foodallergy.org

International Food Information Council Foundation
www.ific.org

Veggies Unite
www.vegweb.com

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Bibliography

Allen KJ, Hill DJ, Heine RG. Food allergy in childhood. Med J Aust 2006;185:394–400 [review].

Crevel RW, Kerkhoff MA, Koning MM. Allergenicity of refined vegetable oils. Food Chem Toxicol. 2000;38:385–93.

Foucard T, Malmheden Yman I. A study on severe food reactions in Sweden--is soya protein an underestimated cause of food anaphylaxis? Allergy1999;54:261–5.

Lee, EJ; Heiner, DC. Allergy to cow milk. Pediatrics in Review1986;7:195–20.

Porras O, Carlsson B, Fallstrom SP, Hanson LA. Detection of soya protein in soya lecithin, margarine and, occasionally, soya oil. Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol 1985;78:30–2

Simons E, Weiss CC, Furlong TJ, Sicherer SH. Impact of ingredient labeling practices on food allergic consumers. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2005;95:426–8.

Vidal C, Perez-Carral C, Chomon B. Unsuspected sources of soybean exposure. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 1997;79:350–2.

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