soy protein

The soybean had its beginnings in China and Chinese historical documents suggest that soybeans have been a diet staple in Asia since the 11th Century BC. According to the Soyfoods Association of North America, the soybean was introduced to North America around the 1760s. Today, soybeans are grown in many parts of the world with the United States being the largest producer of this crop, followed by Brazil, Argentina and China. The United States Department of Agriculture notes that the value of U.S. soybean production in 2008/09 was approximately US$29.6 billion, which represented the second-highest value among U.S. produced crops, behind corn. Soybeans are similar in size and colour to peas and are primarily cultivated for their oil and protein. Soybeans are the largest single source of edible oil and account for roughly 53% of the world’s total oilseed production in 2009. In addition to being a source of oil and protein, soybean meal is used in animal feed for the production of meat and eggs.

Soy protein isolates have been used as a food ingredient for many years. Soy protein isolate is used as a functional ingredient or fortifier in a wide variety of food products including protein shakes, power bars, soups and sauces, meats and meat analogs, and breads and baked goods. In addition to enhancing the protein content of foods, soy protein isolates are desired by food manufacturers for their functional applications. These applications include the ability to emulsify, whip, bind and add viscosity to foods.

Burcon has developed technologies to extract and purify soy protein from a variety of soy materials. These technologies encompass various processes to produce a soy protein isolate which Burcon has branded as "CLARISOY®". CLARISOY® soy protein isolate is a unique soy protein isolate which is 100% soluble and transparent in acidic solutions, enabling food and beverage applications down to pH 2.5 and lower. This soy protein isolate has good flavour characteristics and is heat stable, permitting hot fill applications. Beverage and food makers use the hot fill method for filling containers for the purposes of prolonging a product’s shelf life and typically not requiring refrigeration. The process involves heating to pasteurize a food product which is then filled while still hot into its package. The ability of CLARISOY® soy protein isolate to remain stable in the hot fill process is expected to be beneficial to beverage and food makers. CLARISOY® soy protein isolate may be used in a variety of food, beverage and nutritional applications and is also expected to be price competitive with other protein ingredients.