July 2008

Welcome
Welcome to the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Soy News! We hope that this newsletter provides you with useful information on the exciting world of soy nutrition. For your convenience, this newsletter offers live links to useful resources, a forward-to-a-friend feature so you can share this newsletter with others, as well as the latest scientific research on soy and health. 
Sincerely,
Jim Hershey
WISHH Executive Director

Bakery consultant Clyde Stauffer with participants in a WISHH seminar in Ghana and their products made with soy flour.

Soy Flour Offers Benefits to Consumers & Profit Potential to Bakers at Times of High Food Prices
With high food prices causing concern in Africa, now is the perfect time to consider the benefits of defatted soy flour.  Protein-rich defatted soy flour can boost the moisture content, and therefore, increase dough yield and bread shelf life as well as consumer acceptability, says veteran baking consultant Clyde Stauffer. Stauffer has worked with bakers in 24 countries from South Africa to Russia and Morocco to China.

In April, Stauffer traveled for WISHH to Senegal and Nigeria where he advised multiple bakers. In one series of tests they added 60 grams of defatted soy flour to their 2 kg wheat-flour dough. (In bakery terms, this is called a 3% addition.) The dough mixed well and performed normally--if not better--in all respects. The final product was good, and the crust color was better than their traditional breads.

The head baker was confident that they could use defatted soy flour in their regular dough (25 kg wheat flour) with no problems. In that bread shop, they also realized that adding 750 grams of defatted soy flour to their regular (25 kg wheat flour) dough would give them 6-6.5 extra baguettes, resulting in an extra $12 in sales. They also found economic benefits from adding defatted soy flour to their sliced sandwich loaf. The bakery makes extra large loaves (nearly two pounds) and the extra yield from the defatted soy flour product equated to an extra $5.

In another bakery, they tested defatted soy flour in pita breads where the baker had an ongoing problem with the product drying out and becoming inflexible after one day. Stauffer and the bakery team did a trial in a dough using 5 kg wheat flour and 200 g (4% addition) of defatted soy flour. The results showed real potential for economic benefits to the baker by extending the shelf life of the pita bread. Adding 2 kg defatted soy flour and 3 liters of water to a 50 kg wheat flour dough (their normal dough size) gave 10 extra packages of pita bread for $16 in additional sales.

For more information about defatted soy flour, go http://www.wishh.org/whysoy/valueadded.html

Selasie Farms & Groceries Grows Business with Soyfoods Selasie Farms and Groceries in Ghana is an example of how soy products can expand marketing opportunities for African food business. Based in a suburb of Accra, the company has incorporated soy into weaning foods for children as well as with millet and other foods. Chief Executive Officer Fafali Agnes Azaglo says that U.S. soy products, such as defatted soy flour and texturized soy protein, are well suited for bakeries, meat companies and everyday consumers in Africa. Because she sees high quality affordable protein being a growing need for Africa, she participated in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Cochran Fellowship Program and worked with WISHH to attend the Soy Symposium in Chicago and receive soyfoods training at the University of Illinois National Soybean Research Laboratory (NRSL).

What is really needed in Africa is a high quality affordable protein says all four U.S. Department of Agriculture Cochran fellows who came to the United States in April to receive WISHH training. They see growing African recognition of the benefits of soyfoods and the quality of U.S. soy. Participants included: Ghanian financial advisor Patrick Awuku Dogbe; Selasie Farms and Groceries Chief Executive Officer Fafali Agnes Azaglo; Ghanian financial advisor Patrick Awuku Dogbe; U.S Department of Agriculture Marketing Specialist based in Kenya Carol Kamau, and Andre Rosslee, an executive member of the Soy Southern Africa Association that WISHH assists in its endeavors to increase market opportunities for soy.

Click the tabs to see an example of how Selasie Farms and Groceries is marketing soyfoods.

• Brochure Page One
• Brochure Page Two

Chikumbosu women’s group leader Mary Banda shows tofu fritters produced from the VitaGoat project with Africare that is creating nutritious foods and income opportunities.

VitaGoat Boosts Widows’ Income, Health & Helps Orphans
An Africare project in Zambia is putting a VitaGoat to work to help generate income and nutritious foods in their households as well as supports more than 100 orphans and vulnerable children. Mary Banda is the head of the Chikumbuso Women’s Project, which already made bags to create income opportunities in the poor community. Africare has worked with WISHH partner Malnutrition Matters to install a VitaGoat system that is helping:
--increase nutrition for the program participants and their families. Participants report they and the orphans and vulnerable children are looking and feeling better thanks to the high-protein soyfoods from the VitaGoat
--the community appreciates the affordable and tasty foods from the VitaGoat
--skill building for girls and young women. Many have never raised income on their own.
--Diversified business opportunities for the Chikumbusa members
For more information about VitaGoat, go to www.malnutrition.org

U.S. Biodiesel Production Benefits Availability of High-Protein Soy for Food
High food prices have prompted questions about the relationship between biofuels and the food supply. In fact, the U.S.-based Grocery Manufacturers Association has launched a multimillion dollar campaign to convince people that biofuels are to blame. The truth is soy-based biodiesel is made from the soybean oil, leaving 80 percent of the soybean—the protein—for feed and human food uses like the ones WISHH is working with to integrate in sustainable local diets in developing countries. Furthermore, exciting research is expected to soon increase productivity from existing U.S. soybean acres by about 10 percent. Like many in developing countries, the U.S. biodiesel industry investment is growing in new non-edible raw materials such as algae, seashore mallow, mustard, camelina and jatropha. www.biodiesel.org offers more information about these efforts.

Industry Profile: Dr. Mark Messina, Soy Southern Africa Keynote Speaker

Dr. Mark Messina will speak at the Soy Southern Africa Association meeting on August 12th-13th in Johannesburg.

Soyfoods expert Dr. Mark Messina is volunteering his time to make several presentations at the Soy Southern Africa (SSA) events, and WISHH is pleased to support Dr. Messina’s travel from the United States to appear in South Africa. WISHH spoke with him to discuss soy nutrition for our industry profile in advance of his presentation at the “Soyfoods Deserve a Place at the Table” Nutrition Conference on August 12-13, 2008. Click here to get a preview of why Dr. Messina is so excited about the health benefits of soyfoods.

How did you first become interested in soy?
After receiving my PhD in 1987, I was fortunate to find employment with the National Cancer Institute’s Diet and Cancer Branch.  As a program director my responsibility was to identify promising research areas in the diet and cancer field.  If a convincing case could be made, the NCI would allocate millions of dollars for research in a particular area.  In 1989, the head of the NCI wrote a memo to the Diet and Cancer Branch asking if anyone was investigating soy.  He had just heard a presentation detailing the results of an experiment which showed that adding soybeans to the diets of rats markedly reduced mammary cancer development.  The secretary of the branch showed me the memo because she knew soyfoods were a part of my diet.  One thing lead to another and within a few months I had organized an international workshop on soy and about 6 months after that, an announcement went out from the NCI to the research community requesting grant proposals investigating the anti-cancer effects of soy.  In many ways, this announcement launched the entire soy field.

Why did you decide to leave the NCI?
I left the NCI in 1992 because I decided to focus entirely on soy.  In the process of learning about the possible anti-cancer effects of soyfoods I became aware of research suggesting soyfoods might have a number of other impressive benefits, such as reducing risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.  Consequently, I wanted to spend all of my time research the potential health benefits of soyfoods.

Did you ever anticipate the amount of interest there would be in soy?
The simple answer is no.  I always envisioned soyfoods becoming more popular and appealing to more than just vegetarians or the very health-conscious individuals.  But I never imagined that there would be the approximate 1000 soy-related research articles published each year and that soyfoods would become quite as mainstream as they have. 

What do you consider to be the most important health benefit of soy?
The one with the most potential public health benefit is the hypothesis that consuming modest amounts of soy during childhood and/or adolescence markedly reduces breast cancer risk later in life.  There are intriguing animal and epidemiologic data in support of this hypothesis.  This proposed benefit of soy has not received the attention it deserves in my view. 
The other especially noteworthy proposed benefit that at least in the near term has more potential to be confirmed clinically is that soy consumption, because of the isoflavones, reduces bone loss in postmenopausal women.  Some studies have reported very impressive results in this regard whereas others have shown no benefit.  Thus far, it hasn’t been possible to identify the specific reasons for the inconsistent data.  But overall the evidence is encouraging.

What do you make of the controversy surrounding the safety of soy?
It is quite upsetting, frustrating, and unfortunate.  The evidence overwhelmingly indicates soy deserves a greater role in Western diets than it currently has.  Most of the discussion about a possible “dark side” takes place on internet and comes from unknowledgeable and biased sources.  Also, almost without exception, concerns are based on in vitro or animal studies.  The human data are supportive of safety – plain and simple.  When you consider the thousands of papers published on soy it is easy to see how someone can select the small minority that disagree with the totality of the evidence and make an impressive-sounding argument to the uninformed that soyfoods cause all sorts of problems.  Unfortunately, it is very difficult to combat misinformation on the internet.  I am hopeful though, that one by one these anti-soy claims will be successfully refuted.  Certainly, the science is on the side of soy.

How much soy do you recommend?
The ideal amount is likely 2 to 3 servings per day, providing about 20 g soy protein and about 80 mg isoflavones.  That recommendation is based on both the clinical and epidemiologic data.  But two servings are better than 1 and 1 better than none.  The point is to eat at least some soy every day.

What do you tell people who are hesitant about eating soy?
At minimum, soy is a great source of protein that is low in saturated fat.  The protein itself lowers blood cholesterol levels and soyfoods are good sources of a variety of vitamins and minerals and are one of the few plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids.  So it really is a no-brainer to make soy a part of the diet.  Soy may also help to reduce risk of certain cancers, osteoporosis, and heart disease (independent of effects on cholesterol).  Soyfoods also alleviate hot flashes and may even improve cognitive function although this is quite speculative. For those not familiar with soy I recommend starting with something easy, like soynuts (chocolate covered if so desired) and soymilk because these products are similar to ones with which most consumers are familiar.  Then gradually, I suggest moving on to other traditional soyfoods such as tofu and miso.  And for convenient products, soy burgers are a great way to go.

Calendar of Events

Summer 2008

Baking with Soy Summer 2008, Fargo, North Dakota USA   
The Northern Crops Institute will offer this course on the use of soy ingredients in baking applications, by elaborating physical dough properties, baked product quality, technical specifications of soy ingredients, and regulations and health claim issues in the United States. The program Includes hands-on baking experience.
Dates not yet determined, but information will be posted at:
http://www.northern-crops.com/education/education.htm

August 2008

Soy Southern Africa Nutrition Conference “Soyfoods Deserve a Place at the Table”
August 12-13, 2008, Indaba Hotel in Fourways, Johannesburg
Dr. Mark Messina will be the keynote speaker at this 10th International Soyfood and Soy Nutrition Conference. Click here for a link to the details of the “Soyfoods Deserve a Place at the Table” program. Click here for a registration form to attend.  

Practical Short Course on Texturized Vegetable Protein & Other Soy Products
August 24-29, College Station, Texas USA
Texas A&M University has scheduled the 10th Annual Texturized Vegetable Protein & Other Soy Products. As they become available, details will be posted at: http://www.tamu.edu/extrusion  

U.S. Women in Soy Mission to Southern Africa  
In August, six  women directors of the United Soybean Board, and one woman director on the board of the American Soybean Association will travel to South Africa and Mozambique. These U.S. soybean farmers will meet with private entrepreneurs, non-governmental organizations and government officials to discuss economic development, nutritional needs and business opportunities. Look for the full report of their trip in the next issue of the WISHH Soy News....

Practical Short Course on Texturized Vegetable Protein & Other Soy Products
August 24-29, College Station, Texas USA
Texas A&M University has scheduled the 10th Annual Texturized Vegetable Protein & Other Soy Products. Registration information and other details are posted at:  http://www.tamu.edu/extrusion

Fall 2008

Soyatech’s Soya & Oilseed Summit
September 17-19, 2008 St. Louis, Missouri USA
Soyatech invites leaders in agribusiness, policy and academia to participate in its 2008 Soya & Oilseed Summit on September 17-19, 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri. The program includes practical strategies for the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the industry, including the rapidly changing supply and demand in commodity prices and supplies as well as emerging initiatives to make the soybean and oilseed industries sustainable and prosperous. http://events.soyatech.com/conferences/soyasummit.htm

2008 WISHH Midwest Workshop
October 20-24, 2008
WISHH’s popular annual Midwest Workshop will again feature educational sessions on nutrition and food technology, hands-on-training sessions in the soyfoods test kitchen of the National Soybean Research Laboratory as well as tours of soyfoods industry and soybean farms. Go to www.WISHH.org for photos and information from previous programs. WISHH will soon distribute registration information and a more detailed agenda.

Soy Nutrition, Health & Resources

Soy’s Benefits Reported for Cancer Concerns
The National Cancer Institute reports that Asian women who ate the most soy-based foods from ages 5 to 11 reduced their risk of breast cancer by 58 percent. Just one serving -- one cup of soy milk, 1/4 cup soy nuts or 4 ounces of tofu -- can make a dramatic difference, the group says. Soy contains high-quality protein, no saturated fat and no cholesterol. For the Institute's information on this topic, Click here. Additional information about soy and cancer is available www.dietandcancerreport.org, including “Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective” from The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).  Hundreds of peer reviewers and 21 international experts reviewed and analyzed over 7,000 large-scale studies. The report recommends people should eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes to prevent cancer.

Study Suggests Soy Helps Asthma Sufferers
Antioxidants contained in soy may benefit asthma sufferers, suggests a study in Clinical and Experimental Allergy.  The study showed four weeks of supplementing daily with 100 milligrams of soy isoflavones reduced airway inflammation in asthma patients. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine researchers, led by Dr. Ravi Kalhan, found the results could have implications for soyfoods consumption.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17979994?dopt=Abstract

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