Soy in Canada: label rules and introduction guidance

Is soy on Canada's priority food allergen list?

Soy is a priority allergen and must be declared in the ingredient list or a 'Contains' statement. Health Canada lists names such as bean curd (tofu), edamame, tempeh, miso, yuba, soya and soja, and says these are not permitted without the word soy also appearing on the label. Its soy page adds that refined soy oil and soy lecithin typically contain little of the protein that triggers reactions, while advising people with a soy allergy to check with their allergist before eating them.

Canada's priority food allergens are eggs, milk, mustard, peanuts, crustaceans and molluscs, fish, sesame seeds, soy, sulphites, tree nuts, and wheat and triticale. Under the enhanced labelling rules published in 2011, a prepackaged food must name each one by its common name in the list of ingredients or in a statement beginning with 'Contains'. Gluten sources (barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat) are declared the same way. 'May contain' statements are voluntary, cannot be used when an allergen is added on purpose, and must follow the ingredients or 'Contains' statement.

• Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Food allergies and allergen labelling
• Health Canada: Common food allergens
• Health Canada: Soy, a priority food allergen

What CPS guidance says about introducing soy

The CPS lists soy among the most common food allergens in children. Its practice point finds the evidence for early introduction strongest for egg and peanut, and describes an evidence gap for other allergenic foods, including soy. Its general guidance applies: introduce allergenic foods one at a time, without unnecessary delay between each, and if a food seems tolerated, offer it a few times a week. For high-risk infants, it suggests considering common allergenic solids around 6 months. Your paediatrician can advise if your baby has a milk allergy and soy is being considered.

In Canada, allergen introduction guidance comes from the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS). Its practice point for infants at high risk (2019, updated 2020) defines high risk as a personal history of eczema or other atopy, or a parent or sibling with an allergic condition. For those babies it recommends considering common allergenic solids at around 6 months but not before 4 months, guided by developmental readiness; for babies at low or no risk, it recommends complementary foods at about 6 months.

• Canadian Paediatric Society: Timing of introduction of allergenic solids for infants at high risk

Logging soy in the app

The app's region picker has no Canada option yet. The US schedule covers all nine allergens in these guides, and Canadian priority allergens outside it, such as mustard, can be added as foods in the diary. In the schedule, soy appears as Soy. Each allergen entry moves from not started to introduced, cleared or reaction, and the 14-day window keeps new foods spaced out so a delayed reaction is easier to match to a food. Note the food, such as tofu or soy yoghurt, rather than just 'soy', so repeat offerings are easy to line up. If you see a symptom, log it with its severity; the paediatrician report gathers the dates into one PDF for your next appointment. It is a record for you and your doctor, not a diagnosis.