Soy in the European Union: label rules and introduction guidance

Is soy on the EU's list of 14 allergens?

Annex II lists 'soybeans and products thereof' as item 6. It carries more exemptions than any other entry: fully refined soybean oil and fat; natural mixed tocopherols (E306) and natural D-alpha tocopherol and its acetate and succinate from soybean sources; phytosterols and phytosterol esters derived from vegetable oils from soybean sources; and plant stanol ester produced from soybean sterols. Outside those highly processed forms, soy flour, soy protein, tofu and soy drinks must be emphasised in the ingredient list.

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers lists 14 substances or products in Annex II. Article 21 requires each one to be emphasised in the list of ingredients through a typeset that clearly distinguishes it, for example by font, style or background colour. Where a food has no ingredient list, the label uses the word 'contains' followed by the allergen's name.

• EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II (consolidated text)

What EFSA guidance says about introducing soy

EFSA's 2019 opinion evaluated the timing of complementary foods in general and specifically for foods containing egg, cereals, fish, soy and peanut. Soy is not one of the four examples in the headline conclusion, but the conclusion is general: allergenic foods can be introduced when other complementary foods are introduced, and EFSA found no evidence that starting complementary feeding before 6 months is either harmful or beneficial. If your baby uses a soy-based formula or has a known allergy, ask your paediatrician how soy foods fit in.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reviewed about 300 scientific publications for its 2019 opinion on when complementary foods can be introduced. EFSA's opinion is scientific advice to EU risk managers; recommendations to the public are issued by the health authorities of each Member State, so the plan your paediatrician follows may come from a national guideline.

• EFSA: Appropriate age range for introduction of complementary feeding into an infant's diet (2019)
• EFSA: Age to start complementary feeding of infants (plain-language summary)

Logging soy in the app

Set your region to the European Union and the app's allergen schedule follows the 14 Annex II allergens. In the schedule, soy appears as Soybeans. 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.