Emphasizes the importance of soybeans as a source of protein in the human diet. Provides examples of soy-protein products on the market today and speculates as to their future.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Wilding, M. Dean

English

Research Papers in Economics

Synthetics and Substitutes: The Challenge to the Food Industry
Oilseed Proteins - Present Utilization Patterns
Emphasizes the importance of
soy beans as a source of
protein in the human diet.
Provides examples of soy-
protein products on the market
today and speculates as to
their future.
. Perhaps the most dramatic success
storyin U. S. Agriculture has been the
development of the soybean and its
major food and off food usages.
Historically, the soybean is indigenous
to China and one of the oldest crops
grown by man. As Dr. A.A. Horwath has
said, “The Chinese nation exists today
because of the use of the soybean as a
food.” It might also be predicted that
the future of our own nation along with
many other peoples of the world will
depend upon the technological food
developments from vegetable protein
sources of which the soybean will play
a major role.
In order to orient everyone as to the
growth of this industry, the first
slide shows this phenomenal growth
during the past four decades. In 1926
the total Production of sovbeans in the
Dr. M. Dean Wilding
Head, Vegetable Protein Division
Swift and Company
Oakbrook, Illinois
We could talk at length about the
critical protein food needs that lay
before us as the projected world
population doubles in the next 35 years.
Let us turn our attention to some of
the approaches that have been taken
here in the United States to shorten
the protein food chain as contrasted
to the conventional animal body route.
The next slide shows the relative
efficiencies of protein conversion from
some of our major protein sources. The
time has now come as predicted by
Dr. H. W. Miller in 1943, that our
chief interest in the soybean is in its
value as a human food, As noted on the
slide there is a great difference in
cost per pound of protein from various
sources. The next slide illustrates
why the cost per pound of protein is
low. Note the ten fold difference in
U. S. was \ess than 5 mill{on bushels. protein conversions per acre via the
The 1968 crop exceeded a billion bushels. soybean as contrasted to protein in
This represents a 200-fol:n:;;::ase in
just over four decades.
comparison of interest is made by
noting that more protein is produced
from soybeans than from any other crop.
Also,they return a greater export value
to U. S. agriculture than any other
crop.
This brief background should give some
orientation to this important source of
protein. We would like to discuss some
of the reasons why it is considered a
prime raw material for present and
future food products.
the form of meat.
The next slide summarizes a number of
distinct advantages of soy as a protein
food. The first of these is a large
amount of protein that can be grown per
acre of farmland cultivated as shown in
the previous slide. As noted the cost
per pound of protein produced is quite
low compared to other protein sources.
Both of these facts would be unimportant
if the soy protein were poor in quality.
As will be shown later the quality of
soy protein is very good and has
particular advantage as a supplement to
73the protein of cereal crops. Finally,
of course, a food is not a food unless
it has some desirable qualities that
cause a person to want to eat it.
Fortunately, it has been found that soy
protein has functional properties that
make it possible to develop textural
characteristics in this protein source,
The next slide will point out to those
of you who are unacquainted with the
various classifications of soy product,
the types of protein material that we
want to consider.
By far, the largest group of protein
raw materials now used is 507 soybean
meal , flour and related forms. This is
the raw material from which all of the
other food types are derived. Of
course, some of these require further
processing. Presently the major
portion of this goes into animal feeds.
After oil extraction if the solvent is
removed by low heat or vacuum, a
protein retaining its functional
properties is produced. This flour or
flake form then becomes a base material
for either further extraction of
protein for soy isolates to be used as
a protein powder, or to be spun in
fibers for the development of texture.
This flour can be processed directly
into textured products.
Before we get into the details of each
of these protein categories, the next
slide shows the estimated production
and pricing structure of these three
major groups of soy protein.
The next slide shows the estimated use
of soy flour projected to 1969.
Large percentage usage of this flour
in various food products is limited
because of inherent flavor ~roperties
that exist from the defatted bean.
Thus, additional processing steps are
necessary in order to expand the
volume usage of soy protein in existing
and new food products.
It should be mentioned in passing that
one should not under-estimate the
textural properties of foods in either
U. S. or world feeding programs. This
can be illustrated by comparing a
cooked beef steak with the same piece
of cooked meat ground to a puree in a
blender. The flavor, color, or
nutritive value has not changed but
but there is a vast difference in
eating quality. The difference exists
mainly in the textural properties of
the two foods. This principle should
not be forgotten when relating our
challenge to our foreign or domestic
feeding programs.
The next series of slides will deal
with various soy protein products
that are approaches to alter the
textural, color, and flavor properties
of defatted oilseed proteins.
The soy protein concentrates are
prepared by extracting defatted soybean
meal with suitable polar solvents that
will remove the more soluble
carbohydrates but retaining the protein.
For example, if a 50% protein soybean
meal is extracted with 70% alcohol , very
little protein is solubilized while
most of the carbohydrates, flavor, and
color bodies are removed. The next
slide shows a typical composition of
soybean concentrates.
The soy protein concentrates have
several important functional advantages
in food r)roducts. (Next Slide). When
used as a component in food products
such as meat loaf, hamburger patties,
and meat balls, they help to retain the
moisture, juices, and fat during
cooking because of their good
absorptive properties (Next Slide).
Further, where the ground meat items
are being manufactured on a commercial
production basis, the incorporation of
soy protein concentrates improves the
machinability of these items. The soy
protein concentrates represent a
relatively low cost source of good
protein supplement.
In our experience, the flavor acceptance
of these products can be evaluated more
accurately in the finished product than
as a raw material by itself. It’s a
matter of finding the right product
compatibility. For example, we show on
the next slide a picture of some bread
and rolls that have been prepared
containing 15% soy protein concentrates.
From a commercial point of view, the
most important characteristic of this
bread and rolls is they have met with
good consumer acceptance. A leading
university has evaluated this bread and
found it to be the most acceptable of
the several bread types tested by a
panel of 7 women. From a scientific
point of view, it is much more
interesting to consider what the
conclusion of only 15% of soy protein
concentrate has done to the nutritional
quality of over-all protein protein of
the bread.
While we as scientists may be impressed
by this dramatic nutritional data, we
have to be practical minded and realize
the hard cold facts that the average
consumer does not buy foods on the
basis of nutritional quality. Rather,
she buys for tecture, flavor, and
74functional characteristics that are
often of distinct advantage. They do
not, however, have the type of textural
~roperties that characterize popular
protein foods, such as beef, poultry
and fish. Consequently, considerable
research attention has been directed
toward producing soy protein products
that have the fibrous texture usually
associated with animal products.
The first significant breadthrough was
made in 1947 by Robert A. Boyer, who
made an edible fiber by a process
similar to that used for textile fibers.
A typical flow sheet of the process for
making these fibers and food products
from these fibers is shown in the next
slide, Basically, this is what is done:
Defatted flakes and flour are extracted
and purified to a pure protein. This
pure protein is dis~ersed in alkali and
then precipitated at the isoelectric
point in a bath by drawing it away
continuously from the face of the
spinnerets to form tiny micro-filiments
(10/100 inch in diameter). These
fibrils are combined with such standard,
edible items as wheat gluten, egq
albumin, vegetable or animal fats,
flavors, and colors. The mixture is
then cooked, which sets up and binds
the protein fibers together. The
resultant products are used as
refrigerated, frozen, canned, or shelf
stable products. The composition
(Next Slide) of a typical Product is
shown next. These products are the type
that are being produced commercially by
General Mills, Worthington Foods, and
Ralston Purina. Some highly
sophisticated engineered meat-like
items are now being ~roduced on a pilot
or semi-plant scale by these companies.
Recently, General Mills announced plans
to build a multimil lion dollar plant to
manufacture these fabricated engineered
foods. Some of these products have
very desirable flavors and textures.
They appear to have excellent consumer
acceptance. Their rapid penetration
into the U. S. and more specially the
foreign market has been limited
primarily because the process is quite
involved, resulting in a com~aratively
costly finished product. This fact is
of significance as we consider the
lower purchasing power of the people in
the world who need it most, Another
point of scientific importance is that
a fractionation of protein occurs to
some extent to not only reduce the
yield of protein, but it changes the
amino acid balance in the protein which
apparently reduces the protein quality.
This lowering of protein quality can be
corrected, however, by addition of
dertain amino acids back into the
fabricated food product.
Considering the above limitations, at
least two U. S. companies have taken the
approach of producing textured soy
products more directly from soy flours
and/or grits. While details of the
processes used cannot be disclosed,
they are much more economical than the
process for making food products via the
spun fiber route.
Several products representing this
class of materials are being produced
commercially at the present time; the
consumer response has been very
gratifying.
The physical properties of the textured
soy proteins made by one of these more
direct processes is shown in the next
slide. The functional advantages of
these products are shown in the next
slide. These products when hydrated
have textural properties closely
simulating the chewability of ground
meat products. It is important to add
that in addition to these functional
advantages, the textured soy proteins
have excellent nutritional qualities
Quite comparable to meat and other
animal protein sources.
The flavor of the textured soy protein
is particularly important. The basic
material has a slight toasted flavor.
These products have been stored for as
much as a year at room temperature with
no development of adverse flavors.
Because of their low moisture content,
they are not susceptible to micro-
biological deterioration. Because
these products do have a very mild
initial flavor and good flavor
stabilit.v, their flavors can be
modified to resemble many different
ty~es . The next slide shows some of the
types of flavors that have been
successfully applied to the textured
so,y protein products.
We can talk about nutriti onal,physical,
and chemical properties of these new
food products, but “the proof of the
pudding is in the eating. ” A food is
not a food until some person has put
it into their mouth, chewed it, and
swallowed it. It cannot be considered
commercially successful until a
substantial number of people will come
back and repeat this process over and
over aqain, In our experience thus far,
the textured soy protein food products
are going to pass these tests. The
following slides show some typical
food applications using these textured
products which will but illustrate the
75many more uses that have been used by
other people in commercial products.
The next slide shows some of the dry
mixes in which the higher protein or
meat-like portion is a textured soy
protein. These products are chicken
ala king, chili with beans, and Spanish
rice. The next slide shows a Spanish
Rice after it is cooked. This is made
simply by heating the dry mix as shown
for about 5 minutes. The next slide is
a chicken ala king made from one of the
dry mixes and placed in a pastry shell,
Also is shown a fried patty made from
a blend of chicken meat with textured
soy protein. This product has had
good consumer acceptance when used at
relatively high levels. The next slide
shows stuffed peppers containing a
bacon and a cheese flavored soy protein
product. The next slide shows a bacon
flavored product used in an egg
omelette, in a salad, and a casserole
dish. The next slide is a cheese dip
containing flavored textured soy
protein.
In the development of this imitation
bacon-like product we wanted to get
some estimation of its consumer
acceptance and the correlation of our
own laboratory testing facilities of
the average public as measured by a
facility at the Museum of Science &
Industry. Results of both panels
indicate that there was a 2-1
preference of the fabricated imitation
bacon-like product compared to pre-
fried crumbled bacon. This development
merely highlights what can and is
being done in simulating acceptance in
food products from oilseed protein
sources,
The next slide illustrates a wide
variety of applications in which it is
used in a ground meat product shown here
in canned chili or sloppy joe type
formulations. It should be emphasized
again that all of the above products,
and many like them, have been evaluated
both by expert flavor panels and by
consumer panels from various national
origins. Our criteria for evaluation
has been contrasting them to the
natural or customary food concept. The
response to date using these panels as
judgments for the population have been
extremely encouraging.
Another product concept that we can
quickly mention shows a different type
of texture, color, and flavor variation
made from soy - that of a vegetable
spread. This product is made to
resemble peanut butter in color,texture,
and flavor. We were asked by AID to
make an economical-protein and calorie
product for overseas feeding. The next
slide shows the nutrient contribution
of two slices of wheat bread, spread
with this new soy vegetable spread
served with a glass of reconstituted
skim milk powder. If a child consumed
this twice a day, they would approximate
their minimum daily requirements. From
a practical point of view, the product
is quite acceptable as a food, in
addition to being quite well balanced
nutritionally.
One of the great stimuli to the
development of these new protein sources
is the increased pricing structure
between the conventional protein for
food and the vegetable proteins.
Another area other than the textured
meat area is in imitation dairy
products. Recent work in our laboratory
has demonstrated the utility of a new
product from vegetable proteins to
replace non-fat dry milk solids. In all
applications from meat emulsions to
imitation ice cream (next slide) its
performance has been equal to or
superior to milk solids. This kind of
development merely illustrates the kind
of application that can be made of
oilseed proteins to simulate the
conventional products.
Another large protein usage area that
is developing is in the fluid beverage
area. In Brazil, Coca-Cola has
introduced a chocolate flavor beverage-
“Saci”. Monsanto is marketing an
oilseed protein drink called “Puma” in
British Guiana. In the far east a soy
milk called “Vitasoy” is being sold with
good commercial success.
In our country the sale of filled milk
is paving the way for a completely non-
dairy beverage referred to as imitation
milk. We are confident that oilseed
proteins will be major source for this
new technological challenge. There are
many problems to solve among which are
nutritional equivalence, proper
viscosity properties, and complete
flavor acceptance. We have adequate
evidence in the past it is near
impossible to legislate against
progress in areas of obvious challenge
and opportunities even though there
may be some temporary restrictions. If
these challenges are met, many changes
could occur that would alter the type
of products we see at the consumer
level .
Major efforts are now under way to
bring solutions to these new potential
developments.
There are many new oilseed proteins that
76are used in products such as bakery
items that are a different protein
content than the typical flour,
concentrate, or isolate, Each of these
items are designed to perform a definite
functional purpose to improve the
existing food.
The next slide summarizes some of the
major uses of oilseed proteins in the
commercial world feeding programs.
There are many reasons why our present
technological know-how is not being
used in more uses of oilseed proteins.
Some of these reasons will be given by
other speakers. Some of the problems
result in the fact that those people
who need protein the most can least
afford to pay for it.
Thus, we can except in the future an
entire family of products that will
vary in protein composition,
functionality, and flavor
characteristics, We believe that this
new technology is just in its infancy
and that our present utilization
patterns are but symbols of what is to
come. l
REFERENCES
Soybean Digest - Blue Book Issue; 28
(NO 6), 44 (fiov. 1968)
Eley, Cleveland P., USDA ERS-388,
August 1968
Food Processing 24(N0. 11) 109 (1963)
The National Provisioner 151, (Nov. 7)
16 (1964)
Thulin, W. W., Kuramoto, S., IFT 25th
Annual Mtg. May 1965
Soybean Digest, 29(N0. 9), 40, 1969
Food Prod~~$6~~vel opment l(No. 1)
35-36
Martin, R. E., LeClair, D. V., Food
Engineering, 39(N0. 4), 66-69 (1967)
Food Processing, 28(N0. 7) 48 (1967)
Dethmers, E. E., Food Product
Development; 2(N0. 5), 23-25 (1968)
EDITOR”S NOTE:
The discussion which followed these
papers identified these issues:
1. The general subject of consumer
acceptance of synthetic foods.
2. The possible conflicts which might
arise between “agricultural interests”
and “synthetic food manufacturers. ”
3. The problem of information
concerning nutrition in both “natural”
and “synthetic” foods.
4. How does one approach extension
educational work in synthetic foods?
International Agriculture Development
(Protein Foods Issue) No. 36, Nov 1969
77

OILSEED PROTEINS - PRESENT UTILIZATION PATTERNS

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Research Papers in Economics