Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of what's in their food, and as a result, are taking a closer look at the vast array of additives that might be encountered in a single day's worth of eating. Soy lecithin has gotten special attention because although it has been decried as a food additive, research has shown that it may be therapeutically useful.
Soy Lecithin
Lecithin is a phospholipid derived from certain plants. When processors make vegetable oils, they squeeze the oil from the plant -- what's left behind is the lecithin. Soybeans contain more lecithin than any other plant, so soy lecithin is the most commonly used of this class of chemicals. It's a byproduct of the soybean oil industry, but its versatility has made soy lecithin an industry in its own right.
Food Additive
Soy lecithin is in many prepackaged foods. It contributes a variety of properties that makes it vital to the manufacture and shelf life of many foods you take for granted. Soy lecithin is in your margarine as an emulsifier, to allow oil and water to mix, and it may also perform the same function in your chocolate. It also increases the viscosity of foods like margarine and chocolate syrups to reduce splattering. It is commonly added to baked goods to prolong freshness because it interferes with starch crystallization, and it also inhibits sugar crystallization, which keeps chocolate from developing a haze. It is also a common ingredient in cooking sprays, both commercially and at home, because it provides lubrication without affecting flavor.
Allergy Potential
Because soy lecithin is a soy product, there are concerns about allergic reactions; however, the Food and Drug Administration says that it is unlikely that soy lecithin would cause a reaction in someone who is allergic to soy for two reasons: First, soy allergies are triggered by the soy protein, and soy lecithin contains only trace amounts. The FDA has also formally requested that soy lecithin producers decrease the protein content of their products as much as possible. Second, most food applications involving soy lecithin use such tiny amounts that the finished product usually doesn't contain enough soy to cause a reaction. The FDA states that only a few allergic reactions to soy lecithin have been reported, and they have never been proven or disproved through food challenge studies. Food producers are required to list lecithin content on the label though, so it's possible to avoid soy lecithin if you think a reaction is likely.
Safety
The FDA classifies soy lecithin as "generally recognized as safe," while the Health Sciences Institute warns against possible pesticide contamination in non-organic products. A 1986 animal study in the "International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience" found that perinatal exposure to soy lecithin altered brain and nerve development in rats, but a 2008 report in the journal "Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs" gives soy lecithin high marks as a potential treatment for cardiovascular disease. The bottom line is that most people eat tiny amounts of soy lecithin every day without noticing it, but the jury is still out on its effect on human health. Avoiding it won't kill you, but according to the FDA, eating it won't either.
References
- Food and Drug Administration: Guidance for Industry; Guidance on the Labeling of Certain Uses of Lecithin Derived from Soy Under Section 403(w) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; April 2006
- Soy Info Center; History of Soy Lecithin; William Shutleff, et al.; 2007
- The Health Sciences Institute: Soy Controversy
- "International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience"; Perinatal Dietary Exposure to Soy Lecithin: Altered Sensitivity to Central Cholinergic Stimulation; Bell JM, et al.; 1986
- "Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs"; Phospholipids as Cardiovascular Therapeutics; Pandey NR, et al.; March 2008
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