Information › Allergies › Soy
Soy allergy: shopping soy-free
Soy is a legume used as protein, oil, flour and lecithin in thousands of products. The allergy is usually to the soy protein; soy lecithin and refined soy oil are tolerated by many, but must still be declared.
At a glance
- Kind
- Legal allergen (EU)
- On the label
- In bold in the ingredient list
- Also as
- sojabonen, sojalecithine, sojaeiwit, sojaolie, sojasaus…
- Without soy
- 20.309 products
- Supermarkets
- AH, Jumbo, PLUS, Dirk and Hoogvliet
Recognise
On the label as
- sojabonen
- sojalecithine
- sojaeiwit
- sojaolie
- sojasaus
- tofu
- tempeh
- edamame
- miso
- sojameel
- sojadrink
- Soy is in bold as ‘soja’; soy lecithin (E322 from soy), soy protein, tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso and soy sauce all count.
- Meat substitutes and plant-based dairy are very often soy-based.
- Chocolate almost always contains soy lecithin, which the filter counts as ‘contains soy’.
Shopping
Examples without soy
- Nestlé Choclait chips melkNestlé · 115 gDirk € 3,85Hoogvliet € 3,97Albert Heijn € 3,99Jumbo € 3,99PLUS € 3,99Bevat: Koemelk, Lactose, Melk(eiwit)Kan sporen bevatten: Glutenbevattende granen, Noten, Sesamzaad
- KitKat Chocoladereep salted caramelKitKat · 99 gPLUS € 1,00Hoogvliet € 1,95Albert Heijn € 1,99Jumbo € 1,99Bevat: Glutenbevattende granen, Koemelk, Lactose, Melk, TarweKan sporen bevatten: Aardnoten (pinda's), Noten
- KitKat Chocoladereep hazelnutKitKat · 99 gPLUS € 1,00Hoogvliet € 1,93Albert Heijn € 1,99Jumbo € 1,99Bevat: Glutenbevattende granen, Koemelk, Lactose, Melk, Noten, Tarwe, hazelnotenKan sporen bevatten: Aardnoten (pinda's)
- Botergoud roomboter voor bakken & bradenCampina · 200 gHoogvliet € 2,98Albert Heijn € 3,99Jumbo € 3,99PLUS € 3,99Bevat: Koemelk, Lactose, Melk
- Kitkat Chunky melkchocolade reep 4-packKitkat · 160 gAlbert Heijn € 3,99Jumbo € 3,99Hoogvliet € 3,99PLUS € 3,99Bevat: Glutenbevattende Granen, Koemelk, Lactose, Melk, TarweKan sporen bevatten: Noten, Pinda's
- After Eight Pure chocolade pralines pepermuntAfter Eight · 200 gAlbert Heijn € 2,99Jumbo € 2,99PLUS € 2,99Bevat: Koemelk, Lactose, Melk
All 20.309 products without soy
What to look out for in the shop
- If your doctor says lecithin is not a problem, check the label per product on the product page rather than excluding everything.
- Watch for unspecified ‘plantaardige olie’ (vegetable oil) on older labels.
Good to know
Recently with soy in the recipe (8)These products recently took soy onto their label: the recipe changed. This is exactly where reading the label matters most.
Cross-contamination and “may contain traces”Soy lecithin and refined soy oil contain hardly any protein and are tolerated by most people with a soy allergy.
Soy lecithin and refined soy oil contain hardly any protein and are tolerated by most people with a soy allergy. They must still be declared, so the filter excludes them. When in doubt, the product page shows which form of soy is in it.
Symptoms and when to see a doctorSoy allergy usually causes mild complaints: itching in the mouth, hives, stomach ache.
Short of breath, a swelling tongue or throat, or dizzy after eating? Use the adrenaline auto-injector if one has been prescribed and call 112 straight away. Even if it then seems to get better.
Soy allergy usually causes mild complaints: itching in the mouth, hives, stomach ache. Severe reactions are rare but happen, especially in people also allergic to peanut or birch pollen.
Is there soy in chocolate?
Almost always, as soy lecithin. People who react only to soy protein can often eat chocolate with soy lecithin; discuss it with your doctor.
Is soy sauce gluten-free?
Ordinary soy sauce contains wheat. Tamari is usually wheat-free. Both contain soy.
Which meat substitutes are soy-free?
Ones based on pea, wheat (seitan), mushroom or lupin. Note: seitan contains gluten, and lupin cross-reacts with peanut.
What this site does and does not do
We read the ingredient list and the allergen declaration as the supermarket publishes them, and hide every product that contains the allergen. Products without allergen information are hidden by default too: unknown is not the same as safe. What we cannot do is read the pack in the shop. Recipes change, and the information here can lag behind. When in doubt the label in your hand decides, and for questions about your health your doctor or dietitian.
Other allergens
Sources
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II: the fourteen allergens that must be on the label.
- The ingredient lists and allergen declarations of Albert Heijn, Jumbo, PLUS, Dirk and Hoogvliet, re-read every week.
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