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ALLabout SOY ALLERGY Soy Allergy Overview Different kinds of soy allergy Management of soy allergy Soybeans are legumes. Peanuts are also in the You may have heard that there are different Preventing a soy allergic reaction legume family, and in fact soybeans and peanuts are kinds of soy allergies. This is because the immune The only way to prevent a soy allergic reaction is to structurally very similar. However, this does not mean system can respond in a couple of different ways avoid soy and any food products containing soy. Soy is that if your child has a soybean allergy they will have to soy protein - a soy allergy can be either IgE- found in a number of foods. a peanut allergy as well. Soy is one of the eight most mediated or non-IgE mediated: common food allergens. Soy allergy is most commonly What foods contain soy and how can found in children and affects about 0.3-0.4% of the lgE-mediated soy allergic reactions are caused my child avoid it? population in the United States. Soy is used in a by IgE antibodies to soy protein and can usually • Any packaged food product that contains soy number of food products and as a result avoiding soy be detected by skin and RAST testing. This kind must list it clearly on the ingredients label. is a difficult task. In the next section, we will go into of soy allergy can cause immediate symptoms after • Soy can be found in a number of different detail about reading labels and how to identify foods exposure to soy, including: breads, cookies, crackers, breakfast cereals, that contain soy so you can help your child eat soy-free! • Skin: hives and eczema energy bars, and bakery items because • Gastrointestinal tract: abdominal pain and manufacturers often include soy flour in these vomiting foods. • Respiratory system: nasal congestion, • Soy is also used in a number of food substitutes, sneezing, and wheezing particularly because it is very high in protein. • Look for soy in canned tuna and meat, Non-IgE mediated allergic reactions do not processed meats, and canned broths and soups. involve IgE antibodies, and therefore skin and • Asian cuisines often use soy as an ingredient. It RAST tests to soy are usually negative. This kind is better to avoid Asian restaurants because of of soy allergy usually involves the gastrointestinal the risk of cross-contamination. tract and can cause chronic vomiting, diarrhea, • It is best to avoid the following ingredients as bloody stools, or poor growth. Disorders they indicate the presence of soy: belonging to this category of soy allergy include: • Tempeh • Shoyu Sauce • soy protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome • Miso • Soy protein • soy protein-induced proctocolitis syndrome • Soy sauce • Tamari • eosinophilic esophagitis (actually both IgE- • Edamame • Tofu and non-IgE-mediated) • Niso • Textured vegetable protein

Now that we’ve reviewed the two kinds of soy allergy, the remainder of our discussion will focus mostly on IgE-mediated soy allergy.