• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Allergy Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
  • Allergy Voices - Free Ebook
  • Parent's Guide
  • Terms
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Allergy Voices - Free Ebook
  • The Busy Parent's Guide to Food Allergies
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Types of Allergy » Soya Allergy

    Is Soybean Oil Safe for Soya Allergy?

    Published: Sep 30, 2020 · Modified: Feb 28, 2024 by Zoe Williams. 925 words. About 5 minutes to read this article.

    • Share
    • Tweet

    Babies with cow's milk protein allergy are often allergic to soya too. For those with peanut allergy, a small number will also be allergic to soya. It could be one of multiple allergies, or soya may be your only allergy. Thankfully, under current labelling laws, soya (or soy, depending on where you are in the world) has to be listed as an ingredient in foods, whether you are in the UK, Europe, the USA, Canada or Australia. This makes it much easier to spot foods that contain soya. But what about soybean oil?

    This is a question that came up recently in a group chat I'm in, and it was a question I had had myself a while back after I came across this ingredients label:

    ingredients label containing highly refined soybean oil

    I live in the UK, where soya has to be highlighted in bold in ingredients lists. But this food contains soybean oil, which isn't highlighted in bold! Does this mean the manufacturer has made a mistake with their labelling?

    I was worried as my daughter is very sensitive to soya and even reacts to small amounts of soya lecithin. So I decided to do some more research. Here's what I found out:

    What is Soybean Oil?


    Soybean oil is a type of vegetable oil extracted from the soya beans. There are a few different types:

    • cold-pressed
    • expeller-pressed
    • highly refined

    Cold-pressed and expeller-pressed soybean oil both contain soya protein. If you are allergic to soya you should avoid both of these.

    However, the highly refined type of oil is a different matter. But why is this?

    Highly Refined Soybean Oil

    Highly refined oils of any sort undergo much more processing than the cold-pressed and expeller-pressed versions. The refining process includes extraction with hot solvents, bleaching and deodorisation. This removes all but trace amounts of soya protein from the oil. And we really are talking miniscule amounts.

    A 1998 study found that highly refined soybean oil contains up to 4 micrograms soya protein per 100g. One microgram is a millionth of a gram - a microscopic amount, and not enough to cause an allergic reaction.

    To give some perspective, let's compare this to soya lecithin. Most people with soya allergy can tolerate soya lecithin. But because a small proprotion of people do react to soya lecithin, it must still be clearly listed in ingredients on food packaging. In the same study as mentioned above, scientists found soya lecithin contains 2.8mg soya protein per 100g. One mg is a thousandth of a gram - that's a thousand times larger than a microgram.

    Soya lecithin - 2.8mg soya protein per 100g

    Highly refined soybean oil - 4 micrograms soya protein per 100g

    In another study in 2004, a group of people with confirmed soya allergy ate increasing amounts of highly refined soybean oil, up to 10g. Out of the 28 people tested, not a single one had any reaction.

    Soya Allergy in the UK? Check out my list of Soya Free Bread

    Reported Reactions

    There have been very rare reports of people reacting to soybean oil, but only in the following circumstances:

    • After receiving IV treatments containing soybean oil (i.e. directly into the bloodstream)
    • A baby fed exclusively with amino acid formula containing soybean oil
    • One individual had allergic reactions in the night to pillows where soybean oil was used in the manufacturing process

    None of these are typical uses. And two of them don't involve eating it!

    So thanks to this clinical evidence, in both the USA and Europe (including the UK), highly refined soybean oil is not considered allergenic and is exempt from food labelling laws.

    [UPDATE 5 Oct 2020: Since publishing this post I have been contacted by a number of parents who reported that their children have had suspected reactions to highly refined soybean oil when eaten. Perhaps it's also worth noting that the research study mentioned above was funded by the United Soybean Board.]

    Should I Eat Foods Containing Highly Refined Soybean Oil?

    Whether or not you choose to eat foods containing this ingredient (or give them to your child) is a personal choice! Although the scientific evidence shows there is no risk, there are some anecdotal reports of reactions. Remember, you don't have to eat it if you don't want to. If it feels too much right now, give yourself some grace - maybe another time you can revisit it.

    My daughter has mild to moderate delayed reactions to soya, and reacts to soya lecithin. Although her allergic reactions are not fun, and we work hard to avoid her allergens, she doesn't have Epi-pens and has never had to go to hospital for a reaction before. As we've just seen, there's plenty of scientific evidence to show that eating highly refined soybean oil doesn't cause allergic reactions. So personally, I feel comfortable giving my daughter foods containing it as an ingredient. We have tried it a couple of times and she has been absolutely fine.

    Of course, if you or your child have had very severe reactions to soya in the past, and you know you/they react badly to even soya lecithin, then you might not feel comfortable trying it. If you/your child were to eat some by accident then you shouldn't need to panic. But even so, you might not choose to eat it purposefully!

    If you are in any doubt, please consult your doctor for advice.

    Have you/your child eaten foods containing highly refined soybean oil? What foods have you found that contain it as an ingredient? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

    Can you safely eat soybean oil if you have a soya allergy? What evidence is there and what is the law on food labelling for soybean oil?
    « Easy Dairy-Free Risotto Recipe
    Allergy Voices: Volume 2 [Free eBook] -Powerful Personal Stories of Life with Allergies »
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brian

      September 01, 2022 at 5:19 pm

      Thank you for mentioning that a number of parents have seen their kids react to highly refined soybean oil. It would appear that the soy industry does not want people to know that the highly refined oil can cause a reaction because it's one of the most used oils in our foods on store shelves.

      Do people actually think the studies showing that the highly refined soybean oil are not allergenic are truly legitimate scientific studies? If so, please cite a study that contains a sample size of more than 40 subjects. Common sense would tell me that many people vary in their allergic reactions so it would take a much larger pool of subjects to study for best results. Until then, be extremely cautious with the refined oil.

      If you have a soy allergy and want to take a trip to Europe, I highly recommend Greece. My wife and I went all over Greece for two weeks and every time we asked if they used soy in their foods (we also used the Greek word for soy), they said no and sometimes acted offended that they would put such an inferior oil into their food.

      Reply
    2. Josh

      March 05, 2023 at 3:42 pm

      Some people are not allergic to soy but are intolerant of soybean oil, just like some people are intolerant of lactose. This is completely different but is being covered up so that people who are intolerant of the oil won't figure it out and stop buying it. Symptoms are extreme bloating and explosive diarrhea, hot flashes due to phytoestrogens which also aren't digested, possibly vomiting, lethargy, and headaches. If you are having these symptoms, try eliminating the soybean oil from your diet and see what happens.

      Reply
    3. Sharon W

      June 30, 2023 at 9:47 am

      I am allergic to soy and soybean oil , even highly refined causes an extreme reaction. In the US restaurants do not claim soy as an allergen if they use the highly refined oil which makes eating out a pain because I have to read every ingredient list.

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    About Zoe

    Hello there! Welcome to My Allergy Kitchen! I love experimenting with alternative ingredients and coming up with allergy friendly recipes. I believe you shouldn't let allergies stop you from doing anything you want to do in life.
    Read more…

    Popular Recipes

    • spaghetti with tomato sauce
      Easy and Delicious Tomato Free Meatball Pasta with Garlic Bread for Tomato Allergy
    • Dairy Free Picnic Recipes
    • Dairy Free Chicken Pie (Gluten Free)
    • Slow Cooker Pulled Pork - Allergy Friendly, Low FODMAP

    Need More Support?

    Out Now! The Busy Parent's Guide to Food Allergies - a handy reference guide to childhood food allergies with all the information you need.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Terms - About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2024 My Allergy Kitchen