There are so many hidden ingredients in pre-packaged food these days. Ingredients are often masked with unfamiliar scientific-sounding names. If you have a food allergy, you must be aware of all the names under which your allergy could fall, and check all food labels every time.
Soy has become quite a cash crop for farmers in recent decades for numerous reasons. One reason is the amount of soy used as a filler in foods has increased substantially. Not only have processed foods increased, the amount of fillers the FDA allows in restaurant food and school lunches has increased as well. Soy is also a genetically modified organism. (I’ll save a more detailed discussion on soy in our food supply for a future post.) With food allergies on the rise, it is more important than ever to know what you’re eating and what you’re feeding others.
Soy Names:
- Bean curd
- Bean sprouts
- Edamame (fresh soybeans)
- Kinako
- Miso (fermented soybean paste)
- Natto
- Nimame
- Okara
- Shoyu
- Soy sauce
- Soya
- Soybean (curds, granules)
- Tamari
- Tempeh
- Tofu (dofu, kori-dofu)
- Yuba
Contains Soy:
- Hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP)
- Mono- and di-glycerides
- MSG (monosodium glutamate)
- Soy-based Products (albumin, cheese, fiber, grits, milk, nuts, sprouts, yogurt, ice cream, pasta)
- Soy lecithin
- Soy protein (concentrate, hydrolyzed, isolate)
- Soybean oil
- Teriyaki sauce
- Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
Possible Soy Ingredients:
- Asian cuisine
- vegetable broth
- vegetable gum
- vegetable starch
- The FDA exempts highly refined soybean oil from being labeled as an allergen. Studies show most allergic individuals can safely eat soy oil that has been highly refined (not cold pressed, expeller pressed, or extruded soybean oil).
- Most individuals allergic to soy can safely eat soy lecithin.
- Follow your doctor’s advice regarding these ingredients.
Is there anything that should be added to the Soy Ingredient List?
Have you ever been concerned about the amount of soy fillers in our food?
(Source: Food Allergy and Anaphylactic Network)
Thanks for this very helpful list. I have been wondering more about soy and soy fillers since our conversation. Wondering about the connections between soy and early puberty onset, etc. Would love to gather more info. on it!
Kristen,
I intend to do a post down the road about the theories on soy. Soy isn’t the only filler though. Stay tuned…
Michelle