This article is part of a four part series, detailing the use ofwhole soy ingredients in baking. This series will cover the followingtopics: Introduction, Functionality, Cost Savings, and Nutritional Benefits. Please check back for the next articles in this series.

Minimally processed soy protein is one of the cheapest proteins available to the food industry. Because processing costs are kept to a minimum, inexpensive whole soy ingredients play an important role for food manufacturers in keeping raw materials costs low and stable, while at the same time maintaining excellent product quality. Whole soy ingredients function similarly to more highly processed soy proteins, dairy proteins, and egg proteins—but are much more cost-effective per kg and per use, and are generally much more price stable. The savings potential on a reformulation project can save industrial food manufactures tens of thousands of dollars per year.

Roasted full fat soy flour can replace 25% to 35% of the nonfat milk powder or eggs in many sweet baked products, providing emulsification and water binding as well as significant cost savings. Food manufacturers who wish to be more aggressive with cost saving projects should consider some of the new blended ingredients made with whole soy. By incorporating other minor ingredients, new functional ingredients can be created that perform even better and save more money.

NPI offers two such blended food ingredients. The first, BLUE100 Whole Egg Replacer, can replace 50% to 100% of the eggs in a wide variety of industrial sweet baked products. Utilizing wheat gluten and sodium alginate to enhance the functionality of full fat soy, BLUE100 duplicates the properties of whole liquid or powdered eggs in providing emulsification, mouth-feel and structure in everything from cookies to breads to cakes. Made with all vegetable-sourced ingredients, BLUE100 also contains no cholesterol, is shelf stable, and is readily available year-round.

Another blended ingredient soon to be introduced by IFM functions as a partial or complete replacement for dairy ingredients. This new ingredient, IVORY100 Dairy Replacer, is targeted to replace 50% to 100% of the nonfat milk or whey in breads, cakes, muffins, and other baked goods, reducing batch costs and eliminating supply issues altogether. IVORY100 will be available in flavored and unflavored versions.

Such blended food systems require a commitment by the manufacturer and a partnership with the supplier to reformulate, but the payoff in savings can be great.

Please check back for "Whole Soy Ingredients in Baking, Part Four: Nutritional Benefits"