Frutarom upcycles organic soy germs for shakes, pasta and baked goods

Frutarom Health, a division of International Flavors & Fragrances Inc., is launching organic soy isoflavones under its SoyLife Complex range.

The ingredient is developed from soy beans grown in Europe (60%) and Canada (40%), and has been granted BE-BIO-01 organic certification by Certisys. According to the company, Organic SoyLife Complex is ‘particularly high’ in concentrations of daidzein, which it says is “one of the most active constituents in soy, recognised for its powerful antioxidant and phytoestrogenic properties”.

SoyLife ingredients aim to promote multiple health benefits, including building bone strength and cardiovascular health, improving gut health and skin care. They have also demonstrated their ability to be a resource for alleviating menopausal symptoms, claims Frutarom.

Dr Laetitia Petrussa, product manager of Frutarom Beligum’s bioscience health unit, said the highest amount of isoflavones is found in soy hypocotyl flours, compared to defatted and whole soy flours, soy protein isolates or commercial textured soy proteins. “SoyLife is a natural isoflavone ingredient from non-GMO soybeans and is suited for vegetarians and vegans and organic variants are available,” she told FoodNavigator.

Functional and sustainable

The product is currently used in commercially available in shakes and pasta, and can be used in a ‘wide variety’ of food applications, including baked goods, nutrition bars or cakes, cookies, and chocolate confectionery.

“The SoyLife variants behaves like soy flour. It can add to the structure of food products, without altering the taste profile,” Dr Petrussa explained, describing the ingredient as having “a mild taste of roasted nuts”.

Being organic, the ingredient “fulfils many current demands of consumers who are putting increasing value on trust and transparency when making their purchasing decisions”, noted the product manager. “Organically sourced ingredients are recognized for those values and are increasingly seen as a healthy and ethical choice, both in terms of nutrition and environmental impact”.

The ingredient also represents a “sterling example of sustainability”, noted the firm. As soy germs are not used in the production of soy-based beverages, upcycling this part of the plant creates a value-added product, while decreasing food waste.