Revely

Allergen

Other names for soy on a food label

Soy is in far more than tofu. Here are the names it goes by, and the soy ingredients the rules exempt.

Sources checked September 26, 2026

Names that mean soy

What the law requires

United StatesA major food allergen, as in “lecithin (soy).”1 Highly refined soybean oil is exempt from allergen labeling, but it’s still called “soybean oil” in the ingredient list.2
European UnionOne of the 14 allergens. Fully refined soybean oil, some vitamin E (E306) and plant sterols made from soybean oil are exempt.3
JapanNot mandatory. Soybean (大豆) is on the recommended list.4

On labels in other languages

SpanishChineseJapanese
soja, soya大豆、黄豆大豆

Sources

  1. US Food and Drug Administration. Food Allergies.
  2. US Food and Drug Administration. Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens, Including the Food Allergen Labeling Requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (Edition 5), 2025.
  3. European Union. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex II, 2011.
  4. Consumer Affairs Agency, Japan. アレルギー表示について (Allergen labeling), April 2026, 2026 (in Japanese).

Every source above was checked against the published text on September 26, 2026.