What are the benefits of using a product with soy?
Soy is contained in almost all of our products. We believe soy is valuable for our plant-based products. A soybean is full of good properties, with which fully-fledged plant-based good products are developed. Soy is rich in protein, unsaturated fat and contains iron and vitamin B1. Many soy products are listed in the Wheel of Five of the Nutrition Centre. Legumes, including soybeans, lower LDL cholesterol, which helps keep blood vessels healthy. The cultivation of soy does not require much fertilizer and pesticides.
But I sometimes hear negative comments about soy?
That’s right; soy sometimes has a somewhat unique taste. This taste is not necessarily unpleasant and is often masked by herbs and spices used in the product.
And aren’t forests being cut down for soy production?
Yes, they are, but not for the soy we use. There are also more and more initiatives to grow soy sustainably. More and more European soy is also becoming available.
We have been purchasing sustainable soy through the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) since 2018. This is an international platform where soy producers, soy traders and processing industry work together on sustainable soy cultivation worldwide.
You’ll also find only 6% of the soy that is grown worldwide in the supermarket. The most recognisable soy products here are soy milk, tofu and plant-based products. On the other hand, 90% of soy is intended for animal feed.
What else makes soy such a useful ingredient?
- The texture. Plant-based products that resemble meat are popular right now. The proteins contained in soy are textured, which gives it a good meaty structure.
This is how plant-based products are made.
- Inexpensive and availability. Soy is relatively cheap and available in large quantities.
- Complete proteins. Soy is the most complete vegetable protein compared to other vegetable proteins, vis-à-vis animal proteins. For example, one gram of chicken protein has a score of 1.0. Soy protein has a score of 0.91. Peas and wheat score lower with 0.89 and 0.42.
Soy provides a fully-fledged basis for plant-based products, and with RTRS soy, farmers also have good conditions and virgin forests are preserved.
Source:
- https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/achtergrond/2014/33/achtergrondinformatie-en-handelsstromen–soja–
- https://www.milieucentraal.nl/eten-en-drinken/tropische-producten/soja/
