Although corn, wheat, rice, rye and potatoes comprise the basis for most snack and bakery products, another crop is adding up to a pretty big hill of beans. The humble soybean has been appreciated for millennia because of its wide range of uses in foods and industrial products. That said, as recently as a few years ago, soy was sometimes smirked at for its place in tofu sold at health food stores or quietly incorporated into products but not touted on the label. Only in the past few years has the word “soy” been splashed on packages in both mainstream and natural stores, called out as an important ingredient in everything from pretzels to fortified breads. Moreover, at this time of higher raw material costs, soy has gained another halo as an affordable replacement for more expensive ingredients. “The demand for soy as an ingredient has grown because of its health image and some functional benefits. Soy ingredients are perceived as healthy ingredients, and most of the food companies want to include soy on their food labels,” says Mian Riaz, head of the Extrusion Technology Program and associate research scientist at the Food Protein Research and Development Center at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. Manufacturers also confirm a two-pronged trend exists. “Today, the demand for soy ingredients is principally driven by two significant trends sweeping the food industry: the need to reduce or manage food costs and the desire for products to fit consumers’ health and wellness needs,” observes Jean Heggie, director, market insights, for the Solae Co., a St. Louis-based alliance between DuPont and Bunge Ltd. that supplies soy protein isolates and concentrates, textured soy protein concentrates, soy protein crisps and soy fiber to the snack food and bakery industries, among other sectors. To gauge the buzz on soy, just ask how many people a decade ago knew what roasted edamame was or heard about the effects of isoflavones on blood cholesterol. For those seeking more concrete verification, the St. Louis-based United Soybean Board recently released a report showing that 37% of consumers specifically seek out products containing soy for health reasons, compared to 31% in 2006 and 26% in 2005. More than a third said they are aware of information from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration that consuming 25 g. of soy protein per day reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Likewise, Cincinnati-based Givaudan has conducted focus groups to determine awareness about trendy ingredients that are associated with healthy foods. Participants, not surprisingly, were able to identify specific health benefits about soy. “Consumers told us that as they get older, health and diet are more important to maintain,” says Jonathan Seighman, applications director, sweet goods. “As a result, they spend significant time reading magazines, searching the Web and getting advice from others in similar situations.” Although consumers report they are most familiar with soy foods like meat analogs, soymilk and tofu, many snack food companies and bakeries feature soy on their products’ labels, in the form of soy flour, soy protein isolate, soybean oil or textured soy, among others.
