ImageAs many gluten free people here in Australia would know, our range is becoming bigger each year with more and more suitable options for those with coeliac disease, gluten sensitivities and wheat allergies. Staying on a gluten free diet is always challenging and even though it’s definitely a whole lot easier than when I was a child it is not an ideal lifestyle for anyone – especially when it comes to social situations.

Another food that I have had to avoid since I was little has been sneaky soy! This allergen has been a pain in the butt, and continues to be, every day. Believe me, if you think I’m nuts and love to drink soy milk you’re not alone. I used to crave that stuff when I was young, so I can definitely see where you’re coming from.

Unfortunately, for me, the increase of gluten free foods on the market has not really helped me much at all. This is because the short, wretched 3-4 letter word is lingering somewhere in the ingredient lists of a vast majority of these items here in Australia.

ImagePatties Foods have recently reformulated their gluten free pies, pizza rolls, lamingtons and other items to ‘improve’ their recipe. Sure enough, when I saw this so boldly stated on the box I knew it was time to check the ingredients list again and boy am I glad I did!

The second or third ingredient in the gluten free flour mix was soy flour!

It amazes me about how little awareness there is of soy, at least here in Australia, and it’s potential harm. Not only do I have to avoid virtually *all* chocolates on the Australian market, I also have to avoid just about all the gluten free foods (with the exception of snacks and cereals) and just about any packaged/boxed meal I find (that’s gluten free, anyway) seems to contain soy in some form. Soy really is like a weed that seems to be proliferating in our gluten free food supply over here!

Scientists continually complain about the fact that coeliacs often don’t heal despite a very strict gluten free diet. Already, we know that soy is a very hard to digest food, and it seems that many gluten sensitive people have elevated levels of soy antibodies in their stool (at least from what I’ve seen from people’s Enterolab results)!

So please, gluten free food manufacturers, have some pity on the soy-intolerant folk and try some flour blends that don’t contain this potentially harmful ingredient (especially, seeing as though it’s one of the top 8 allergens and a prime aggravator of leaky gut syndrome).

I often see allergy conscious brands boastfully labelling their food as gluten free, dairy free, vegan, peanut and tree nut free, allergy-friendly, etc. yet include isolated soy protein as one of the primary ingredients of the product.  At least stop calling your food allergy-friendly if it contains soy! Especially since it IS a(n) (very common) allergen!

Thank you. Sorry for the rant. :?

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