Soy protein concentrate: Processing, properties and prospects.

The soybean is a unique crop. While the objective of this website is primary to provide the nutritionist the latest information on soybean meal use; several food-grade products are produced from the soybean. A paper published in the December issue of Inform provided detailed discussion of the edible protein products produced from soybeans. The paper provided the following estimates of the quantities of products manufactured: 220,000 metric tons of soy flours; 350,00 metric tons of soy protein concentrate; and 220,000 metric tons of soy protein isolate in 2000. The paper discussed the processing, properties and applications for soy protein concentrates. Soy Protein concentrates contains a minimum of 65% protein on a moisture-free basis produced by removing the nonprotein components. The method of removing the sugars and other low-molecular weight constituents will produce concentrations with different function properties. The author estimated that about 94% of the soy protein concentrate is currently produced are manufactured by the countercurrent aqueous alcohol wash process. The remaining 6% is produced using acidified water extraction procedure.

The author indicated that about 70% of the soy protein concentrate is used in human food applications and the balance finds its way into pet foods and milk replacers for calves and pigs. A small amount is used for nonfeed applications. The author stated that the use of soy protein concentrates is steadily growing about 15% annually. Changes in public policy and regulations, consumer trend towards vegetarianism, concern about bovine spongiform encephalopathy, price of other edible protein ingredients, and the research base support the continued growth in soy protein concentrate use. The author concluded that the growth potential is as much as a million metric tons if the potential of soy protein concentrates used as meat extenders and milk replacers continue to expand.
(Note-Information contained in the paper is not readily available from industry sources in the U.S.; thus the advantages of having a perspective from a supplier of process equipment of a foreign company.)

Chajuss, Daniel. 2001. Soy protein concentrate: Processing, properties and prospects. Inform 12(12):1176-1180.