Soy Allergy

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In addition to the general information about food allergies, here are some issues that people with a soy allergy should know about.

Outgrowing a soy allergy

A soy allergy is most common in infants and typically develops around three months of age. While for most children, a soy allergy will disappear within a few years, a severe soy allergy can be a lifelong condition. Consult your allergist before reintroducing your child to soy products.

Soy Oil

People who are allergic to soy may not need to avoid soy oil. Soy oils on the market tend to be refined enough to remove all of the proteins that can trigger allergic reactions. However, you should consult your allergist before eating anything made with soy oils.

Read the labels

If you're allergic to soy, the only way to avoid a reaction is to avoid all food and products that contain soy and soy derivatives. Don't eat a food or product if the label has precautionary statements such as "may contain soy". Read ingredient lists carefully and learn to identify other names for soy, such as edamame. Do not consume a food or product if there is no ingredient list or if there is a risk they might have been in contact with soy. If there is not enough information to make a decision, you can always call to ask the company or speak to a knowledgeable person at a restaurant.

Sources of soy

Given its high protein content and its value as an emulsifying and texturizing agent, soy is common in many processed foods. Carefully review ingredient lists on all processed food to identify sources of soy.

Other names for soy

• Bean curd (dofu, kori-dofu, soybean curds, tofu)
• Edamame
• Kinako
• Natto
• Nimame
• Okara
• Soya, soja, soybean and soyabeans
• Soy protein (isolate and concentrate), vegetable protein
• Textured soy flour (TSF), textured soy protein (TSP) and textured vegetable protein (TVP)
• Yuba

Food and products that contain or often contain soy

• Bean sprouts
• Bread crumbs, cereals and crackers
• Breaded foods
• Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP) and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
• Imitation dairy food
• Infant formula, follow-up formula, nutrition supplements for toddlers and children
• Meal replacements
• Meat products with fillers, for example, burgers and prepared ground meat products
• Mexican foods, for example, chili, taco fillings and tamales
• Miso
• Nutrition supplements
• Sauces, for example, soy, shoyu, tamari, teriyaki, Worcestershire
• Simulated fish and meat products, for example, surimi, imitation bacon bits, vegetarian burgers
• Stews, for example, in gravies
• Tempeh
• Vegetarian dishes

Other possible sources of soy

• Baked goods and baking mixes
• Beverage mixes, for example, hot chocolate and lemonade
• Canned tuna and minced hams, for example, seasoned or mixed with other ingredients for flavour
• Chewing gum
• Cooking spray, margarine, vegetable shortening and vegetable oil
• Dressings, gravies and marinades
• Frozen desserts
• Lecithin
• Milled corn
• Meat products with fillers, for example, preprepared hamburger patties, hotdogs and cold cuts
• Seafood -based products and fish
• Seasoning and spices
• Snack foods, for example, soy nuts
• Soups, broths, soup mixes and stocks
• Soy pasta
• Spreads, dips, mayonnaise and peanut butter
• Thickening agents
• Mono-diglyceride
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) (may contain hydrolyzed protein)

Non-food sources of soy

• Cosmetics and soaps
• Craft materials
• Glycerine
• Milk substitutes for young animals
• Pet food
• Vitamins

Where can I get more information?

For more information about food allergies:

• Consult an allergist.
• Refer to Health Canada’s Food Allergies web page
• Refer to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s Food Allergens web page
• Sign up for the CFIA’s "Food Recalls and Allergy Alerts" email or RSS notification service
•  Order free copies of this brochure by calling 1-800-442-2342/TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday).
• Visit these organizations for additional allergy information:
  • Allergy/Asthma Information Association
  • Anaphylaxis Canada
  • Association québécoise des allergies alimentaires
  • Canadian Celiac Association
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  • Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
  • Fondation québécoise de la maladie coeliaque
  • Health Canada

This information was developed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Health Canada, in consultation with Allergy/Asthma Information Association, Anaphylaxis Canada, Association québécoise des allergies alimentaires, Canadian Celiac Association and the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

CFIA P0707E-10
Catalogue No.: A104-84/2010E
ISBN: 978-1-100-14805-2