The growth of soy-milk as a dairy alternative

The rapid adoption of vegan lifestyle across the world has created a significant demand for non-dairy milk products. A multitude of factors including ethics, environmental concerns and health are creating a movement towards veganism. Similarly, growing awareness towards lactose intolerance among people is also supporting the need for non-dairy milk products. According to U.S. National Library of Medicine, 65% of the population post infancy became lactose intolerant. This statistic is as high as 90% for some regions including Italy, Western Africa, Greece, and some Middle East countries.

Soy-milk evolved as a primary substitute for dairy milk across the globe. This plant-based drink has gained a massive popularity in Europe and North America. It has been marketed as a soft drink variant in countries such as Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. The product is also used as an essential ingredient in the formulation of various products including milkshakes, pancakes, curd, smoothies, bread, mayonnaise, cupcakes, and many other recipes.

Soy-milk Production & Quality

The production of soy-milk begins with procuring soybeans and cleaning it in a grain elevator. The retrieved beans are de-hulled by steaming and splitting into half. After this, the de-hulled beans are boiled in water under high pressure and temperature in an enzyme invalidator. The boiled beans are then first roughly ground with water and followed by a fine grounding process creating a hot white slurry. Through a centrifuge, the insoluble coarse particles are separated from the semi-liquid mixture. The smooth liquid obtained after this process, is the raw soy-milk which is further sweetened, flavoured and added with nutritional ingredients. Sterilisation under high pressure and temperature is carried out, followed by homogenisation, where the fat particles are broken down to elongate the shelf life. The obtained hot milk is cooled and packed in airtight tetra packs for final dispatch to the consumers.

Quality control is an important part of soy-milk production. Beans with white hilum are considered the appropriate raw material for milk production. Most manufacturers prefer only organic beans for preparing the product. The packaging of the product is done using the most modern technology, where the product is not exposed in the air to maintain its aseptic nature. Most producers have more than 200 checkpoints to constantly monitor various indicators including temperature, pressure, steam, pH levels, and bacterial growth, in a desired time interval. The insoluble coarse particles separated during centrifuge are known as okara, which finds application as a better quality animal feed.

Soy-milk Health Benefits

Every 225g of unsweetened soy-milk contains 80 to 100 calories, 4 grams of carbohydrate, 1 gram of sugar, 4 grams of fat, and 7 grams of protein. The plant-based drink has zero lactose and very low saturate fat. It is considered to be a health source of potassium, calcium, Vitamin A, B-12, and D, protein and isoflavones. Fermented soy-milk is appropriate for patents off high blood pressure. It is medically advised that patients suffering with coronary heart disease risk should consume soy-milk regularly. These products are consist of poly and mono unsaturated fatty acids which stop cholesterol from entering the blood stream, resulting in reduction of bad cholesterol in blood.

The majority of gym trainers recommend soy-milk as a healthy way to lose weight. The high fibre content of the beverage takes longer to digest and thus, keeps hunger pangs at bay. Furthermore, the product has been found to be rich in omega fatty acids and phyto-antioxidants, which altogether strengthen the blood vessels. It also contains phytoestrogen which reduces the risk of prostate cancer. The presence of Vitamin D and Calcium makes it an appropriate solution for fighting against osteoporosis. As these products are low in glycemic index, they form a healthy diet for diabetic patients, and in its richness in fibre slows down the absorption of sugar.

Market Scenario

The increasing demand for soy-milk is creating new avenues for its manufacturers. Organisations from across the world have been launching new products and deploying new strategies to draw benefit out of this ever-expanding opportunity.

About the Author: Achla Bharti has been an active participant in various market research studies and consulting projects for Grand View Research. She has been a keen researcher in the consumer goods industry and holds a PGDM from Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship, Bangalore.

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