Should People With Soy Allergies Avoid Soy Foam Products?

Posted by Robin, BiOH Polyols Global Regulatory Affairs Manager on April 3, 2009

The short answer to this question is generally no. The allergenic substance to the vast majority of people in soybeans (and other allergens) is protein, while soy-based BiOH® polyols used in foam are made from refined soybean oil. If protein is present in refined soybean oil, it is at such low levels that it typically does not cause an allergic reaction.

But since a number of people have asked about this topic and I am a techie at heart – please read on.

You probably know someone with food allergies. Food allergies have received a lot of attention because 6 – 7 million Americans (2 – 2.5% of the population) suffer from them. The majority of food allergies are from eight products or groups of products: eggs, fish, shellfish, milk, peanuts, soy, tree nuts and wheat. Symptoms range from mild to severe. Food allergies can be scary and dangerous – accounting for 30,000 emergency room visits a year and 150 – 200 deaths according to the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP).

Typically allergies are an exaggerated immune response of sensitive individuals to protein. Because refined soybean oil contains only very minute quantities of proteins, it is not considered allergenic. In fact, it has been shown not to be allergenic to individuals sensitive to soy protein. (R. K. Bush, et al., J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 76:242-245 [1985]). Soy allergies by inhalation have also been studied and shown to be caused by protein; interestingly, they are caused by different proteins.

BiOH polyols are produced starting with RBD (refined, bleached and deodorized) soybean oil. The RBD process includes a series of rigorous physical and chemical purification steps. Each step purifies the soybean oil and removes more protein from the oil. And then, BiOH polyols are processed under conditions that would typically destroy protein. By the time the soy-based BiOH polyols are reacted into foam for your sofa or mattress, there should be little to no soy protein left or accessible for an allergenic reaction.

So that’s the technical explanation. Any questions?