Soybeans As Human Food

Soybean is the main oilseed crop worldwide, a staple crop for protein-rich food and feed as well as a significant source of nutraceutical compounds with many different medical benefits. Soybean for Human Consumption and Animal Feed highlights the state of research in soybean nutritional attributes as well as science-based approaches defining the future of soybean for human consumption and animal feed. Over seven chapters, this book presents a comprehensive picture of the potential of soybean for human and animal diets and health as well as quality stock for pharmaceutical and functional food industries with an emphasis on the importance of genetic improvement of soybean germplasm in enhancing healthy and safe properties of final soy products.

Unprocessed and simply processed soybeans used as human food and the pattern of soybean consumption and production are reviewed country by country. Traditional soybean food used have been limited to the Orient where soybean foods are eaten for everyone -young and old, rich and poor. The kinds of soybean foods people in the Orient like, the ways to prepare such foods, and the manner of consuming them are deeply imbedded in their culture. Preparation and use of these traditional soybean foods are described. In recent years, various approaches have been taken to incorporate soybeans into natives diets of countries that do not traditionally use soybeans as foods. These studies indicate that soy flour may be the most versatile product. A village process for making soy flour is discussed. Although soybeans are grown in small areas throughout the world, soybean production is concentrated in three countries: the United States, Brazil, and China. World food consumption of soybeans, however, is low; most of the soybeans produced are used for oil and feeds. Even in China and Japan, which consume significant amounts of soybean foods, the percentage of soybeans used as food is only 15 and 22 percent, respectively. In the past years, the United States has distributed cereal-soy blends to be used as food to many countries.

Seed structure and composition; Soybean production; Disposal of the crop; Processing soybeans into oil and meal; Conversion to edible oil products; Soybean oil products; Food uses of soybean protiens; Conclusions; Addendum; Introduction; Production; Edible oil products; Conversion to edible protein products; Properties of soy proteins; Food uses of soybean proteins.

Redirection of meat supplies and other animal products for the war effort during World War II prompted research into protein substitutes for human consumption. The Department of Agriculture offered soybean products up as a low-cost supplement for animal products like meat, eggs, milk, and cheese. The brochure writer states "As the nutritive values and good eating qualities of soybeans and soya products become more familiar, these foods will undoubtedly play a larger part in our diet."