• What is the difference between soya sprouts and soya beans?
• Is Alpro® soya suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans?
• Where do your soya beans come from?

• Is Alpro® soya suitable for children?
• Does Alpro® soya contain genetically modified ingredients (GM)?
• How do I use Alpro® soya to help lower my cholesterol?
• Can Alpro® soya be used to replace dairy?
• What is Alpro® soya free from?
• Is Alpro® soya suitable for diabetics?
• Can I freeze Alpro® soya products?
• What is the difference between intolerance and an allergy?

• Can Alpro® soya drinks be used for cooking?
• Why does Alpro® soya curdle when I add it to tea or coffee?

• Can Alpro® soya packs be recycled?
• What is Alpro's environmental policy?
• Does Alpro® soya buy soya beans from the Amazon Rainforest?
• Do your beans come from fair trade?

• What is the difference between soya sprouts and soya beans?

Real soya (Glycine Max) is part of the leguminous family. It exists in many varieties; the most used being the yellow soya that offers an excellent nutritional composition. In the past germinated mung beans were sold as soybean sprouts in Europe. Today, germinated soybeans (or sprouted soybeans) have become commercially available, also in Europe.

• Is Alpro® soya suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans?

Yes, all products in the Alpro® soya range are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and approved by the Vegan Society as being free from animal ingredients.

• Where do your soya beans come from?

Our beans come from farms in Brazil, China, Canada and Southern Europe. We source from farms where soya beans have been grown for many years, subject to usual crop rotations. None of these farms are on land that has been reclaimed or deforested and with a full traceability system we can ensure that our beans are free from genetic modification. Respect for the environment and a sense of responsibility for the resources of the earth are the driving factors in our production process.

• Is Alpro® soya suitable for children?

For babies under 6 months of age we do not recommend Alpro® soya. Although soya is safe to use, due to the products being naturally low in fat, they may not provide enough energy for the needs of your growing baby.

Alpro® soya products can be introduced as part of a healthy balanced diet from 6 months to 2 years. We recommend Alpro® soya products with added calcium supplement for babies and young children as they contain similar amounts of calcium to their dairy equivalents. We do not advise the products to be the sole source of milk, as our products naturally do not contain the same level of fat important to help maintain your child's healthy growth.

From the age of 2 Alpro® soya can be used as a sole source of milk.
If you are concerned about your child's diet for any reason please contact a health visitor or a state registered dietitian.

• Does Alpro® soya contain genetically modified ingredients (GM)?

No. We use a traceability system to ensure that all our products and ingredients avoid contamination with genetically modified organisms (GM).
The system is approved and monitored by independent auditors Cert ID, an independent auditing group recommended by the British Retail Consortium.
To avoid contamination by genetically manipulated organisms (GMOs), Alpro® soya has implemented its own control system. Together with the outside control body Cert ID, Alpro® soya controls every step of the soya bean production process: from the farmer right up to the shop. To ensure waterproof control, the system is constantly evaluated and updated.

• How do I use Alpro® soya to help lower my cholesterol?

For those that have a high cholesterol level, It is important to eat a healthy balanced diet which is low in fat , particularly saturated fat . It has now been scientifically proven that the inclusion of at least 25g of soya protein per day as a part of a diet low in saturated fat can help reduce cholesterol*.

It couldn't be easier to integrate Alpro® soya into your diet to make the most of this great, natural cholesterol lowering benefit. Just 2 glasses of Alpro soya alternative to cow milk, 1 Alpro soya alternative to yogurt and 1 Alpro soya dessert will give you your recommended 25g soya protein. Delicious recipe ideas to help you get your 25g intake here.

*fda, 1999 and JHCI, 2002

• Can Alpro® soya be used to replace dairy?

Yes, Alpro® soya contains a similar amount of protein as dairy milk. Alpro soya is guaranteed lactose free and with many products containing calcium and similar vitamins to dairy products you can confidently use as an alternative to dairy. Alpro soya can be used in tea, coffee, on cereal and in all your favourite recipes where you would use dairy products. For great ideas how to introduce Alpro® soya into our diet why not check out our recipe ideas.

• What is Alpro® soya free from?

Alpro® soya products are dairy free, lactose free, gluten free and are produced in a nut free environment. The majority of our products are also wheat free.

EU directive states that food packaging should identify the presence of an ingredient i.e. "contains gluten" rather than state that it is not present in the product i.e. "gluten free" This is why you currently do not see the statement "gluten free" on our packs.

Coeliac UK approves all of our products. Please be assured that we work closely with Coeliac UK and they can substantiate that our products are suitable for those on a gluten or wheat free diet.

• Is Alpro® soya suitable for diabetics?

Alpro® soya support Diabetes UK's view that people with diabetes should follow the same healthy eating guidelines that are recommended for the general population. This means following a diet that is low in fat, particularly saturated fat, low in sugar and salt, with meals based on starchy carbohydrates and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Alpro® soya products can form part of a healthy balanced diet. In addition, Alpro® soya contains soya protein which has been proven to help lower cholesterol. Some of our more indulgent products such as our flavoured shakes do have a little more sugar so you may want to check the pack for details. For more detailed information about the diet for diabetes your GP or dietitian can advise you, or visit diabetes UK.

• Can I freeze Alpro® soya products?

We do not recommend freezing our products in their packaging as the quality of the product may be affected. However, food cooked with soya is fine to freeze as long as you follow general freezing guidelines.

• What is the difference between intolerance and an allergy?

An allergy is a type of food intolerance but there are other types of food intolerance which do not involve a reaction from the immune system. The most common food intolerance, linked to the absence or poor levels of the lactase enzyme, is lactose intolerance. This enzyme is used to digest lactose, the sugar found in dairy milk. If not enough lactase is produced by the body some of the lactose passes through the gut undigested and causes symptoms such as diarrhoea.
One of the ways to treat this is to remove milk and lactose from the diet and replace with a nutrient rich alternative such as Alpro® soya.
This type of milk intolerance is different from having an allergy to milk, where the milk protein is the allergen provoking the immune system to react, which in some people can be more severe. Not all allergies will last forever, particularly in the case of children. Children tend to grow out of allergies between the ages of three and five. However, an allergy or intolerance can develop at any time of your life.
There are no cures for intolerances or allergies. For people with lactose intolerance or milk allergies, Alpro soya products provide a great alternative to milk, yogurts, desserts and cream everyday.
If you believe you are having an allergic reaction or severe symptoms lasts for more than a day or two you should contact your doctor immediately.

• Can Alpro® soya drinks be used for cooking?

Yes. Alpro® soya alternatives to milk can be used in the same way as traditional milk. You can find many books with recipes that use no dairy. And why not try replacing any dairy products in your everyday recipes with Alpro® soya. cooking without dairy products has never been so easy!

• Why does Alpro® soya curdle when I add it to tea or coffee?

If you put instant coffee in a cup with soya and pour over boiling water it can curdle. This is because of the reaction that occurs due to the acidity of the coffee and in the case of tea, the heat of the boiling water. You can get around this by making your tea or coffee and leaving it to cool slightly before adding your Alpro® soya. Alternatively you can make (or buy) delicious soya cappuccinos, these work well because they are made with real ground coffee which isn't piping hot.

• Can Alpro® soya packs be recycled?

Yes, Tetrapak cartons are lightweight, low resource, energy-saving packaging, designed to have minimum impact on the environment throughout their life. It is the only liquid food package made principally from a renewable resource - wood. The Tetrapak carton used for our products is designed to provide an energy efficient, air tight and safe means of packaging. The carton is a laminate of several layers of paper/ card, plastic and a single layer of aluminium.
The aluminium does not come into contact with the product inside the carton because of a double layer of pastic which prevets this.
Now Tetrapak have launced carton recycling in the UK. Local collection schemes are being established in various locations around the country; more will follow soon.
Cartons are not pulped with newspaper, magazines or other kinds of paper, so you should only put them in your exising recycling collection system if you are sure that Tetrapak cartons are accepted. The collected cartons are sent to a paper mill so that their strong, high-quality fibres can be recovered and used to make a range of new paper products, including carrier bags and envelopes. Check out Tetrapak's website for further information www.tetrapak.com

• What is Alpro's environmental policy?

Our environmental programme was set up some years ago to reduce the environmental impact of our manufacturing process, products and packaging. We share your concern for a green and safe environment not only for today, but also for tomorrow. We have a firm commitment to provide products that are environmentally friendly and natural.
See below the various facets of Alpro's ecological approach:

• Soil: Alpro avoids any pollution of the soil. Frequent analyses prove this.
• Water: All water leaving our production sites has been treated in one of our speciality built, state-of-the-art water treatment installations. 
• Green zones: buffer zones filled with local varieties of plants have been installed around our factories. company ("between industry and nature"). 
• Beans: Soya pulp left over from the production of Alpro® soya products is never placed in landfills, but is used in animal feed. 
• Recycling Solid waste: Alpro separates waste into of different types: paper and cardboard, cellophane, Tetra, goblets, empty PVC packaging, metals, oil, plastic, wood and glass. 
• Preventive: our purchasing department negotiates with suppliers so as to use as much recyclable packaging and material as possible. What's more, Alpro minimises the weight.

• Does Alpro® soya buy soya beans from the Amazon Rainforest?

No, we source our soya beans directly from farms where soya beans have been grown for many years, subject to usual crop rotations. None of these farms are on land that has been reclaimed or deforested. This is based on our clear and conscious principle of non-sourcing from rainforest areas. Respect for the environment and a sense of responsibility for the resources of the earth are the driving factors in our production process.
We only buy from farmers that we have direct contact with. We do not buy any of our beans on the open market. In some cases we have been working with the farmers for over 20 years and this ensures that we have full traceability from the harvesting of the bean through to the final finished product.

• Do your beans come from fair trade?

No, our products do not bear the fairtrade logo, simply because there are not yet any standards for fairtrade in soya. We strongly believe in ethical trading and enter into long-term contracts with farmers, guaranteeing them a fair price. One bad crop does not mean the farmer is excluded from our programme. We ensure that all farmers get paid fairly; we respect the local conditions and have invested in local charity projects to improve the lives of the farmers, their families and their local community.
Our support for the "EDHUCCA" project in Acuparana in Brazil is an example of this. The initiative accompanies children and teenagers whose parents cannot afford to pay for them to attend school, offering training and activities alongside their regular school activities. Our goal is renovate and expand the local school buildings while offering training and educational material for the young people in the area.

Another project we support is "Vitagoat" in Africa. The "Vitagoat" is a modest production device where a person uses bicycle pedals in order to drive a grinding system. Soya beans can be ground and then water is added. This system is focused on soya milk and other soya food based production and requires no electricity, generators or running water. This is critical due to the expensive, availability and unreliable electrical supply in most of the developing world.
The "Vitagoat" does more than just produce soya milk: it makes it possible for people to produce something themselves. This is not only good for self-esteem but also provides them with an essential source of good quality, nutritious foods and the prospect of additional income.