Prison inmates at the Danville Correctional Center in Illinois are being fed too much soy, according to a new lawsuit from the Weston A. Price Foundation, which advocates a soy-free diet.
According to the suit, the inmates are fed up to four times the recommended daily allowance of soy.
Turns out, that could be a real problem, according to Slate:
Lots of people are allergic or sensitive to soy. Too much of it can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, thyroid problems, or cardiovascular trouble.
Throughout the Illinois prison system, inmates are being fed chili mac, turkey patties, gravy, hot dogs, and other foods with soy added to them. The foundation says prisoners are getting "up to 100 grams per day." The FDA recommends consuming about 25 grams per day.
But are they really eating that much? The prison system isn't talking, but even proponents of soy say 100 grams is way too much, and that it's unlikely prisoners are consuming that amount. "One hundred grams of any protein from plants or animals would not be economically feasible and would be an enormous load on the kidneys," Nancy Chapman, head of the Soyfoods Association of North America, told the Chicago Tribune.
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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