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Vol. 4, No. 3
Soyfoods USA
April 16, 1999

Soyfoods USA ...a monthly e-mail newsletter designed to inform media sources, dietitians, and consumers about the latest soyfoods information. Underwritten by the Indiana Soybean Board. Details at end of issue.

CONTENTS

1. Celebrate April Soyfoods Month For Better Health!
2. USDA Launches Database of Beneficial Compounds in Soyfoods
3. Soybeans 101
4. Great Tasting Soyfood Recipes

5. Getting on and off our list

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CELEBRATE APRIL SOYFOODS MONTH FOR BETTER HEALTH!

April is the nationwide celebration of National Soyfoods Month! Today, more than ever, Americans want to know the health benefits of soy and what new soyfoods are available and where to find them. Last year, sales growth of soyfoods increased by 30 percent. If you have not made soyfoods a regular part of your diet, try some of our favorite recipes found at the end of the newsletter to help you get started.

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USDA LAUNCHES DATABASE OF BENEFICIAL COMPOUNDS IN SOYFOODS

A new U.S. Department of Agriculture database launched April 7 on the World Wide Web will help scientists pinpoint which estrogen-like compounds-isoflavones-in soyfoods may be responsible for a lower risk of cancer, especially breast cancer, according to a USDA news release announcement.

Scientists with USDA's Agricultural Research Service compiled the database. It gives values for the major isoflavones in 128 soyfoods and ingredients. Isoflavones, such as daidzein, genistein and glycitein mimic the hormone estrogen. They also have antioxidant capability and may perform other functions that enhance health, according to the USDA.

The new soy isoflavone database can be found on the web at:
<http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/isoflav/isoflav.html>.

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SOYBEANS 101

Keshun Liu, Ph.D.
Hartz Seed
A Member of Monsanto Global Seed Group
keshun.liu@monsanto.com

People who eat soyfoods may want to make soyfoods themselves for a variety of reasons, many just for the fun of it. Often they ask if they can use soybeans grown on the farm they live on or near, or if there is a special type of soybean they should use. Although it is possible to use virtually any type of soybean to make soyfoods, there are special varieties of soybeans that are grown just for food use.

Soybeans vary greatly in both physical appearance and chemical composition. Physical appearance includes size, shape, skin and hilum color. Hilum refers to the scar or notch found on soybean seeds. Compositional differences include protein and oil content, proportions of different proteins, fatty acid composition, and other minor constituents, such as isoflavones. All these differences can affect the yield, visual appearance, texture, taste, nutritional value, and health benefits of soyfoods. Just like different wheat products require different types of wheat as starting material, different types of soy products require different soybeans. Therefore, it is important to know how to choose a specific type of soybean for a specific use.

There are two distinct types of food use soybeans. One is for direct food consumption to make traditional soyfoods, such as soymilk, tofu, soy sprouts, miso, natto, and tempeh. The other type of food use soybean is for indirect consumption after crushing into oil and defatted meal. Although most soybean oil is refined for human consumption, defatted soy meal is mainly served as animal feed. A small portion of the meal is processed into soy protein products, including soy flour, concentrates, isolates, and textured soy proteins. These products serve as functional and nutritional ingredients in various types of food, including baked goods, dairy and meat products, infant formula, and meat analogs (meat alternatives).

Because of this sharp difference in soybean utilization and the strong effect of raw soybeans on yield and quality of final soy products, two major types of soybeans have emerged in the U.S. soybean market: oil beans and food beans. Oil beans include most of the commonly produced soybeans in the States. In general, most oil beans have medium seed size, ranging between 3000 and 4000 seeds per pound (15.1 - 11.4 grams per 100 seeds), yellow or yellow brown seed coat, with hilum color predominantly being black and imperfect black. Most oil beans have high oil content, medium to low protein content, and high field yield potential.

Food beans, on the other hand, have been selected and bred over the past several decades for making into various types of soyfoods for direct human consumption. They are called specialty or identity-preserved soybeans, and usually carry a premium price in the market for a trade-off in yield or other agronomic characteristics. Food beans are further classified into tofu beans, natto beans, sprout beans, and green vegetable soybeans. Most often, these beans are extra clean, with superior seed quality (U.S. Grade 1 or higher).

Tofu beans are bred for soymilk and tofu production. In general, they are higher in protein content (40% or higher, dry matter basis) and lower in oil content. Most tofu beans have medium-to-large seed size (larger than 3600 seeds per pound or 12.6 grams per 100 seeds). However, large seeded soybeans are preferred because they are visually appealing and have less hull in proportion to the whole soybean weight. Because seed color affects visual appearance of soyfoods, most tofu beans have a clear hilum, light yellow to yellow seed coat, and light yellow cotyledons that result in a whiter soymilk or tofu product, which is visually more appearing to most consumers.

In contrast, manufacturers of natto, an ethnic Japanese food of fermented whole soybeans, prefer small to extra small soybeans for better fermentation. These beans are called, appropriately, natto beans. For sprouts production, soybeans with medium seed size and high germination rate are preferred.

For consumption as a green vegetable, immature soybeans with large seed size, clear hilum, thin seed coat, high contents of sugar and free amino acids (to impart sweet and delicious taste), and tender texture (to have a better mouthfeel) are preferred. They are known as edamame beans. For mature soybeans consumed in the form of either cooked or roasted whole beans, similar features would also be desirable, that is, large seed size, clear hilum, thin seed coat, and soft texture.

As you can see, there is more to the simple soybean than meets the eye, especially when you pass a field of soybeans growing along side a highway. So, the next time you think about growing your own or making your own, you now know a little bit more about what to look for.

For more information about sources of food use soybeans see the U.S. Soyfoods Directory Web site <http://soyfoods.com>.

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GREAT TASTING SOYFOOD RECIPES

Of the more than 30 soyfood products on the market, tofu, soymilk, soy flour and soynuts are some of the most readily available and easy to prepare, says Kim Galeaz, R.D., a nutrition consultant for the Indiana Soybean Board. Galeaz suggests people who want to enjoy some of the health benefits and good taste of soyfoods should eat at least one serving of a soyfood per day. Here are some of Galeaz's favorite soyfood recipes. kimgaleaz@aol.com

Henry Ford Chocolate Chip Soynut Cookies

3 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups vegetable shortening or margarine
4 large eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup soy flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs vanilla soymilk
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups roasted soynuts, coarsely chopped
4 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 375° F. Beat shortening and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in baking soda, salt and soy flour. Add all purpose flour gradually along with soymilk and vanilla. Stir in soynuts and chocolate morsels. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute and remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 12 dozen cookies (this is a double batch). Serving size: 1 cookie. Per cookie: 83 calories, 4 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 1 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 6 mg cholesterol, 73 mg sodium.

Bar Cookie Version for Henry Ford Chocolate Chip Soynut Cookies

Prepare dough as above. Spread into two greased 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pans. Bake in preheated 375° F oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack before cutting. Cut into 36 bars. Nutrition facts per bar will be double one drop cookie.

Apple Cinnamon Bread (Bread Machine)

3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup soy flour
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbs margarine
2/3 cup oatmeal
1 cup chopped apple, skin left on
3/4 cup vanilla soymilk
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tsp yeast

Add ingredients to bread machine according to manufacturer's directions.

Yield: 1 1/2 pound loaf. Serving size: 1 slice (loaf cut into 16 slices). Per serving: 152 calories, 2 g fat, .3 g sat fat, 5 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 254 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.

Whole Grain Soy Burgers

1 can (15 ounces) cooked soybeans
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs minced ready-to-use garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp basil
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup oatmeal, uncooked
1/2 cup wheat germ

Mash soybeans in large bowl with fork or potato masher. Mixture does not need to be smooth and completely mashed. Add all other ingredients and mix until well blended. Divide into four balls and form each into pattie. Cook in skillet coated with vegetable cooking spray until browned well on each side. (Mixture can also be made into meatballs and cooked in oven).

Yield: 4 patties. Serving size: 1 pattie. Per serving: 312 calories, 11 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 24 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 167 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

Baked Beans

6 cups cooked Great Northern or navy beans*
3 cups cooked soybeans*
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (8 ounce each) tomato sauce
3 Tbs molasses
3 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs cider vinegar
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp each cinnamon, allspice and black pepper

Drain the navy and soybeans well. Combine them with all the remaining ingredients in a 3-quart casserole. Cover the casserole and bake for 1 hour in a 325 ° F oven (no need to preheat). Remove the cover, stir the beans, and bake for about 30 minutes longer.

*Cooked dried beans or use 4 cans Great Northern beans and 2 cans cooked soybeans. (If using dried beans: 6 cups cooked beans = 2 cups dry beans; 3 cups cooked beans = 1 cup dry beans.

Yield: 9 cups (18 servings) Serving size: 1/2 cup. Per serving: 204 calories, 5 g total fat (0.7 g sat fat), 14 g pro, 27 g carb, 589 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.

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Permission is granted to reprint this information, as long as credit is given to the Indiana Soybean Board <http://indianasoybeanboard.com>

Send comments or requests for information about Soyfoods USA to the editor, Roger Stevens, <info@soyfoods.com>

Back issues available at <http://www.soyfoods.com/newsletter/old/OldSUSA.html>

More information about soyfoods can be found at the U.S. Soyfoods Directory <http://soyfoods.com>.

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Copyright 1999
Indiana Soybean Board