Soy, as a processed food ingredient, refers to the various products derived from soybeans that appear in a wide range of manufactured foods. Soy protein isolate, soy flour, soy lecithin, and textured soy protein are among the most common forms, used to add protein, improve texture, or act as emulsifiers in everything from protein bars and meat alternatives to baked goods and infant formula.
Soy-based ingredients became ubiquitous in food manufacturing during the late 20th century due to their low cost, high protein content, and functional versatility. They are a major allergen — soy must be declared on food labels in Australia and most other countries.
For information about the whole bean and its traditional food products (tofu, soy milk, edamame), see the soybean entry.
How it's produced
Soy ingredients are produced through industrial processing of soybeans. The beans are cleaned, cracked, dehulled, and typically solvent-extracted using hexane to separate the oil from the protein-rich meal. The defatted meal is then further processed depending on the desired end product: milled into flour, concentrated into soy protein concentrate (65–70% protein), or further refined into soy protein isolate (90%+ protein).
Textured soy protein is made by extruding defatted soy flour under heat and pressure, creating a fibrous structure that mimics meat. Soy lecithin, a byproduct of the oil refining process, is used as an emulsifier. The vast majority of the world’s soybeans are grown in the United States, Brazil, and Argentina.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
* Based on what it takes to produce, from farm to factory gate.
What comes from this
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