Soybean oil is highly processed and does not include any carbohydrate content. This means it is low FODMAP, along with all other oils. Soy Lecithin Another issue is that Californian almond farmers often use a lot of pesticides, which can be harmful to the health of wildlife and people. It has been a particular cause of concern for bee welfare. The use of bees to pollinate California’s almond monocrops is also thought by some to be putting bees under a lot of stress. It was recently announced that the company has received investment from Danone, a major processor of dairy products. It is currently unclear what percentage the investment equates to. This means that the activities of Danone are not currently affecting Minor Figures’ Ethiscore, but if more information becomes publicly available this may change. On the score table we have indicated where a brand only makes one or two types of milk. But some brands make a broader range so the table below lists all the brands in this guide. Type These companies all received our worst rating: Blue Diamond (Almond Breeze), Soulfresh (Bruce), and Olga (Sojade). Palm oil

Plant milks are low in iodine and as a result, consumers who replace cow’s milk with plant milks are at risk of becoming iodine deficient– so says a report by British investigators published recently in the British Journal of Nutrition. 1 Soymilk was one of the plant milks evaluated. Caldwell KL, Miller GA, Wang RY, Jain RB, Jones RL. Iodine status of the U.S. population, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004. Thyroid. 2008;18:1207-14. Most brands in the top half of the table received a Company Ethos mark for being from entirely vegan companies: Dasgupta PK, Liu Y, Dyke JV. Iodine nutrition: iodine content of iodized salt in the United States. Environ Sci Technol. 2008;42:1315-23. The FODMAP content of soy yoghurt is likely to vary depending on the type of soy milk used. Ideally look for a soy yoghurt which is made from soy protein, otherwise you might want to test your tolerance levels to a small serve first. High FODMAP Soy Products Silken TofuBath SC, Steer CD, Golding J, Emmett P, Rayman MP. Effect of inadequate iodine status in UK pregnant women on cognitive outcomes in their children: results from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Lancet. 2013;382:331-7. Haldimann M, Alt A, Blanc A, Blondeau K. Iodine content of food groups. J Food Compost Anal. 2005;18:461-71.

Soy protein powder is made from defatted soybean flakes that are processed to remove some of the oligosaccharide content. According to Monash University, soy milk made from soy protein is low FODMAP ( 1). So it is possible that some soy protein powders might be low FODMAP, however, that will depend on how it has been processed. More testing is still needed to understand the FODMAP content in soy protein powders. In the meantime, if you do decide to use soy protein powder, choose soy protein isolate powder that contains low amounts of fibre or no fibre content (the oligosaccharides hide in the soybean fibre), then test your tolerance to a small serve. Soy Yoghurt Throughout much of Europe, cow’s milk is a major source of iodine. Iodine is found in dairy products due to iodine supplementation of cattle feed and the use of iodophor sanitizing agents for udder washes, teat dips, and cleaning milking equipment. 13 Relatively little is known about the iodine nutriture of consumers of plant milks. In the UK, iodine status (as assessed by 24 h iodine excretion) was lower in consumers of soymilk in women of childbearing age, reflecting the negative correlation between intake of soymilk and cows’ milk. But this study included only 5 women who drank soymilk. 16 A US study found that vegetarians are iodine sufficient but also that vegans may be at risk for low iodine intake. 17 However, in contrast to the British study, 16 higher urinary iodine concentrations (indicating higher iodine intake) were associated with recent ingestion of soymilk. 17 The authors of this US study recommended that vegan women of child-bearing age supplement their diet with 150 ug of iodine daily, 17 which is the same recommendation that exists for non-vegan women. 18 Plamil received our best rating, and the rest of the companies were found to be palm oil-free. Executive Pay Soy flour is popular in gluten free products. It has been tested by FODMAP Friendly and it is high FODMAP for fructans and GOS in 50g serves. This means you should avoid large serves during the low FODMAP phase of the low FODMAP diet. You might find you can tolerate 1 to 2 slices of gluten free bread that contains soy flour, providing it isn’t the predomination flour (eg listed in the first 3 ingredients), so it can be worth exploring your tolerance levels. Final ThoughtsCrawford BA, Cowell CT, Emder PJ, et al. Iodine toxicity from soy milk and seaweed ingestion is associated with serious thyroid dysfunction. Med J Aust. 2010;193:413-5. Estimates are that globally 2 billion people have an insufficient iodine intake and that about 50% of Europe remains mildly iodine deficient. 6 By comparison, in the United States, iodine status looks pretty good according to recent NHANES data, 8 although pregnant women are an at-risk group. 9 EFSA. EFSA ANS Panel (EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food), 2015. Scientific opinion on the risk assessment for peri- and post-menopausal women taking food supplements containing isolated isoflavones. EFSA J. 13,4246 (342 pp). 2015.