Soy protein

Description

Soy egg-white, also soy protein is made - after separating the soy oil in the oil mill - from defatted soy flakes.

• The protein content is at least seventy percent.

Application

Soy proteins are excellent emulsifiers: they absorb water and fats. They are mainly used for:

• bakery products
• finished products, instant soups, instant sauces
• meatless products based on soy
• fish preparations, sausages- and cold meat
• special pasta (soy noodles)
• a base substance for aromas
• protein-rich speciality food for children, the elderly, athletes and the ill

Gene technology

Raw material: soybeans.

Soybeans: normally, the internationally traded raw materials of soya come, entirely or partially, from genetically modified plants. GM soybeans are cultivated on large areas in the USA and Argentina. From these countries the EU imports annually more then thirteen million tons of soy and the raw material of soy.

Some food companies exclusively process the conventional raw material of soy. However, a total separation based on all processing stages between conventional and GM soybeans is technically not possible. Therefore, also certified non-genetically modified raw materials may contain small amounts of GMO-parts. This could amount to 0.9 per cent.

Cultivation and permission

• Only very little cultivation of soy exists in the EU. So far no GM soybeans are permitted for cultivation.
• Since 1996 food and ingredients from GM soybeans (herbicide resistant, RoundupReady) are permitted in the EU.
• Further applications for the importation and processing of GM soybeans have been made.

Labelling: soy protein from genetically modified soybeans is liable to be labelled. Random and technically unavoidable GMO- additions of up to 0.9 per cent of the soy raw material does not result in a labelling of the produced food.