Sunday Surprise

It’s a little late, but it’s still Sunday! So here it is – the first “Sunday Surprise” at The Science Mom.

When I first began an elimination diet while breastfeeding Big O, I was entirely unaware of the many secret sources of certain food allergens. (A bit more on that story here.) I remember thinking I’d miss having cream in my coffee – but wait! There’s that powdered non-dairy creamer stuff – I’ll just use that. Then I thought a little more about it. Hmmm, just what the heck is in non-dairy creamer if it is not made from milk or cream? To my surprise, a quick scan of the non-dairy creamer label revealed that, in addition to many ingredients I’d rather not ingest, it indeed had casein, a milk protein, in it.

It was infuriating to think that something could be labeled “non-dairy” if it actually has a milk protein in it! As I began to scrutinize other ingredient labels, I realized there were a lot of unexpected and, sometimes hidden, sources of food allergens.

I’m starting a “Sunday Surprise” entry here each week. I will post information about surprising sources of food allergens – like gluten, milk/casein, egg, soy, corn, etc. I will probably never be able to detail all the hidden food allergens in foods, drugs, and supplements, but, I hope that by sharing a little each week in the Sunday Surprise, others might avoid an unexpected set back due to accidental food allergen exposure.

This week’s “Sunday Surprise” is (drum roll please. . .) soy sauce.

Of course, it is not surprising soy sauce contains soy (which is a problematic food for some of us). But did you know that soy sauce generally contains wheat, and therefore, gluten? Most experienced gluten-free dieters are aware of this. Personally, I was very surprised to learn that soy sauce typically contains wheat/gluten. Wheat-free soy sauce is available (e.g., tamari), but labels must be carefully read to ensure you’re getting a wheat/gluten-free soy sauce. The ingredient list on snack foods that may contain soy sauce (e.g., some versions of rice crackers and Asian-style rice snacks) need to be carefully scrutinized as well.

Another surprise about soy sauce is that it is used in unexpected ways in restaurant cooking - and I’m not talking about just at Asian food restaurants. When we eat out, I ask questions, make special requests, and ask more questions. I research on-line menus and ingredient statements. Of course, looking at a restaurant’s ingredient statements will likely cause anyone to think twice about ingesting the “food” at some establishments – fast food and chain establishments having some of the most, shall we say,  frightening interesting ingredient statements (see, e.g., my first TSM blog entry).  

Back to soy sauce. In my experience, I have found that we can often find foods that meet our requirements at Mexican food restaurants. However, I have also found that soy sauce is used a lot in Mexican food restaurants. Many Mexican food restaurants I’ve been to in Southern California do use soy sauce in their meat marinades – for fajitas, carne asada, etc. You must, of course, ask the right questions to find this out – asking simply about gluten or wheat will not necessarily reveal soy sauce. A lot of people (like myself pre-gluten-free) do not realize soy sauce has gluten in it. For us, we are avoiding soy, too, which is how I’ve come across so much soy sauce usage in Mexican food restaurants.

Really, any restaurant food that is marinated might contain soy sauce in the marinade and it is well worth it to ask about the specific ingredients of the marinade. Even non-marinated items, like a hamburger patty, can contain soy sauce. It’s been surprising learning about restaurant food ingredients – surprising indeed.

So there you have it – the first Sunday Surprise at The Science Mom!