Soy Allergy
Amherst College Dining Services can assist with avoiding soy products.
Ask for the Lead Cook or Manager of Dining Services for assistance with your allergies. If you would like to set
up an appointment please call 542-2220 or email valentine@amherst.edu.
It’s strongly recommended that you make an appointment with Health Services if you have not done so already
and inform them of your medical condition.
When in Valentine Dining Hall, be aware to look at the signage at each food
station:
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Amherst College Dining Services uses canola and olive oils for any recipe that calls for oil, however,
we purchase many items that contain soybean oil in them.
Deep frying oil is made of canola oil
Avoid any sauces as there is a great possibility that soybean oil is an ingredient. Ask the Chef or
Dining Hall Manager for ingredients if there is a sauce that you would like to try out.
For the Stir Fry Area, be sure to ask for a clean pan and use olive oil or canola oil. If you do not see
it, please ask Dining Services Staff for help.
In the U.S., approximately 79% of all edible oils consumed are soybean oil. It is most commonly
used in food manufacturing and food service operations.
Prego and Contadina Marinara and KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce do not contain soy.
Soy allergy is one of the most common food allergies. It is a hypersensitivity to dietary substances from soy
causing an overreaction of the immune system which may lead to severe physical symptoms. It is estimated that
soy is among the nine most common food allergens for pediatric and adult food allergy patients. It is usually
treated with an exclusion diet and vigilant avoidance of foods that may be contaminated with soy ingredients.
Those allergic to soy protein should always read food ingredient labels carefully and avoid any foods containing
soybean. Caution should be exercised when dining at Asian restaurants or when using Asian sauces, which may
contain soy.
Reactions and Treatment
Those who are allergic to soy protein may have an extreme allergic reaction and go into anaphylactic shock. In
cases of anaphylaxis, emergency medical personnel typically administer Epinephrine and an antihistamine such
as Benadryl. In event of an allergic reaction, the victim should see a physician or immediately go to the
emergency room, as anaphylaxis can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Soy allergy can also result in symptoms such as urticaria, rash, redness (inflammation due to immune system
response) and severe itching of the skin. These symptoms can happen immediately, but may also manifest a day
(or even days) after initial consumption.
Food sources of soy protein
Many restaurants commonly use soy protein in hamburger buns, hamburger meat and hydrolyzed vegetable
protein (HVP) in sauces. Multi-grain breads, doughnuts, doughnut mix and pancake mix commonly contain soy
flour. Nearly all bread products available in the US now contain soy. Soy can now be found in nearly all types
of foods such as meat, ice cream, cheese and french fries. Many foods are contaminated with soy, due to being
cooked in soy oil.
Some products for reasons having to do with national regulation of soy product, don't list soy protein or soy
flour on their ingredients labels, yet they still contain soy. There are still many latent issues resolving how soy
should be regulated, as well as it's long term effects on human health.
Products containing soy protein include:
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edamame
miso
natto
shoyu sauce
soy (soy albumin, soy fiber, soy flour, soy grits, soy milk, soy nuts, soy sprouts)
soya
soybean (curd, granules)
soybean butter
soy protein (concentrate, isolate)
soy milk
soy sauce, tamari
tempeh
textured vegetable protein (TVP)
tofu
cadbury's fudge bar
The following food additives may contain soy protein:
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chocolate
hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
flavoring (including natural and artificial)
canned chicken broth
vegetable broth, gum, protein, and starch
bouillon cubes (beef, chicken, vegetable, etc.)
lecithin
caramel color
vegetable
vegetable oil
methylcellulose
vegetable fat
vegetable oil
"natural" flavors
mono- & di-glycerides
Dosage tolerance
Many people with soy allergy can tolerate small to moderate amounts of soy protein. The typical dose needed
to induce an allergic response is about 100 times higher than for many other food allergens, with 90% of
sufferers being able to tolerate doses up to 400 mg. As a result, not all of those allergic to soy need to avoid
very minor sources of soy protein such as soy oil or soy lecithin.
Health concerns
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High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc.
Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and
long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test
animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote
breast cancer in adult women.
Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid
cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D. Toxic synthetic vitamin D2 is added to soy
milk.
Fragile proteins are over-denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and
textured vegetable protein.
Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic
nitrosamines.
Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional
amounts are added to many soy foods to mask soy’s unpleasant taste.
Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum, which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.