The ASA-IM regional office in New Delhi conducts soybean promotion efforts in the Asia Subcontinent (primarily India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), with a major emphasis on promoting soybean use as human food and especially food containing U.S. soy products.  The Food Team includes consultants throughout the region overseeing a wide range of promotional activities.  These activities are usually undertaken in association with various soy food manufacturers.  ASA-IM also works with various government and non-government organizations, schools and other institutions to introduce soy into feeding programs, whereby soy food manufacturers can supply their products.  

Seminars & Demonstrations

ASA/IM conducts seminars to promote manufacturing of soy foods by food processors and other entrepreneurs.  Audiences for these seminars are food manufacturers, food technologists, dieticians, and doctors. The main aim of these seminars is to educate audiences regarding the nutritional and health benefits of soybean and to identify potential food products appropriate for south Asian markets.  Health foods, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products are especially emphasized.  Product demonstrations are regularly conducted for different target groups and usually in association with soy food manufacturers.  ASA-IM routinely distributes soy food-related technical literature as well as soy food recipes. 

Technical Services

ASA-IM supports existing soy processors and soy food manufacturers by providing technical assistance to improve their technologies and products. Various international and national food / soy processing experts are used in conducting such activities.  Occasionally, ASA-IM leads soy food processor / entrepreneur teams on international study tours to expose them to worldwide developments in the soy food industry. 

Exhibitions

Each year, ASA-IM participates in various national food exhibitions.  Through these exhibitions, ASA-IM promotes soy-based food products to entrepreneurs and consumers by distributing various technical literature, recipe books and soy food samples.  Occasionally ASA-IM organizes soy food festivals in association with soy food manufacturers to showcase soy food products to targeted consumer groups. 

SoySeals

ASA-IM helps existing soy processors through provision of appropriate and registered seals that endorse high quality, carefully tested products.  As part of this activity, ASA-IM regularly monitors product quality and performance.

Soy Entrepreneur Development Programmes (EDPs)

ASA-IM conducts five-day soy food training programmes to encourage both new entrepreneurs and exiting soy food manufacturers to start manufacturing new soy food products. These EDPs are conducted in co-ordination with local universities and industrial organizations. Various soy food-related and other business improvement topics are covered during these programmes. 

Soy Food Products

Soybean is one of the few plants that provides a good amount of both high quality protein and fat. Regular consumption of soy can help people feel better and live longer, with enhanced quality of life. Specifically, soy protein has been found to have a number of health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart diseases, cancer and osteoporosis, alleviating menopause problems, and managing diabetes.  Soy protein consumption also improves the nutritional status of children with a positive impact on anthropometrics and cognitive characteristics. Soybeans can be processed into a number of traditional and non-traditional food products.  

Wheat-Soy Flour:  A mixture of 10% defatted soy flour and 90% wheat flour. This can be used the same way as whole-wheat flour. In south Asia, this is widely know as Paushtik atta.

Gram-Soy Flour:  A mixture of gram flour (Besan) (80%) and defatted soy flour (20%).  This product has about 30% more protein and is less expensive than regular besan.  It also works to reduce oil absorption during frying.

Soymilk:  A liquid soybean extract with colour and composition similar to dairy milk.  It is cholesterol free and has more protein and less fat than its dairy counterpart.

Tofu:  Similar to Indian paneer, but cheaper in price and nutritionally much superior to its counterpart.

Soy Nuts:  A perfect alternative to peanuts, far less expensive and an excellent source of protein and isoflavones.

Soy Papad:  Soy flour can replace 30% of black gram without compromising taste and texture.  This product has increased protein content (by as much as 50% over black gram), and its use considerably reduces raw material costs.

Bakery Products:  Wheat flour can be fortified with soy flour for both functional and nutritional reasons.  In any bakery product, up to 3% fortification can be achieved without changing formulation, except for water.  Enzyme active soy flour at 1% can improve bread colour and texture and is used by a number of bakers throughout south Asia.  Soy flour can be applied in combination with sweet dry whey to replace non-fat dry milk.

Textured Vegetable Protein (Soy Bari):  This is a very popular soy product in many south Asian markets; it is usually sold as nuggets or granules.  It contains about 50% soy protein, is economical, can efficiently mimic meat products and is easy to handle.

Soybean Oil:  This oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and is a readily available source of essential fatty acids. It is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which have health benefits such as cholesterol reduction, increased immunity and reduced carcinogenicity.

Health Supplements:  These represent the easiest way to get adequate soy protein.  A number of pharmaceutical industries are coming up with disease-specific as well as general protein supplements.

Dal Analogue:  A nutritious, high protein processed food made from defatted soy flour, wheat and red gram.  It has more protein and is much cheaper than traditional dals.

Soy Protein Beverages:  This is a new soy product category, made from soy protein isolates.  A number of fruit juice-based beverages are available in many south Asian markets, especially in India, which give the benefits of both fruit juices and soy protein.

The Health Claim

FDA

On October 26^th 1999, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration issued a health claim for soy protein after reviewing 58 different research findings. The health claim reads as follows:

“Consumption of 25 gm of soy protein per day with diet low in saturated fatty acids may reduce the risk of heart diseases by reducing cholesterol.”

For your queries regarding our food program contact:

 

American Soybean Association – International Marketing

Spanish Court, 3rd Floor (301-A), C-1 Block, Palam Vihar, Gurgaon - 122017 Haryana, INDIA

Tel:  +91-124-4259591-3, Fax:  +91-124-4259594

 

E-mail: sitapu@asaimasc.org (for India and Sri Lanka)

asaascpk@cyber.net.pk  (for Pakistan)

zhaque@asaimasc.org  (for Bangladesh)