Kyowa Soy Products Promote Heart Healthy Benefits

August 27, 2001

Specialty Ingredient Focus: Soy

Source: Chemical Market Reporter

Soy and soy-derived products are important ingredients in the growth strategies of several chemical companies and agribusinesses that are targeting the dietary supplement, functional food and personal care markets.

Kyowa Hakko launched a new soy peptide food ingredient for the functional food and dietary supplement market earlier this year. The new product, CSPHP Kyowa SuperSoy, binds enzymatic-decomposed lecithin to hydrolyzed isolated soy protein. Kyowa is manufacturing the soy ingredient at its facility in Tsuchiura, Japan.

Earlier this year, Kyowa launched a new finished product, a powder mix using the new soy ingredient in Japan. In the U.S., the company is initially targeting CSPHP Kyowa SuperSoy as a bulk raw material to the food and nutraceutical industries, although the company has not ruled out the possibility of offering the finished products in the U.S.

The company points to the product's advantage in offering soy's serum-cholesterol reducing properties and improved stability and taste over other soy products. The product is stable under various pH conditions and heat treatments when combined with other components, including proteins, lipids, starch, emulsifiers and minerals, and the company says the products offers improved taste, aroma and texture when compared to soy protein, hydrolyzed soy protein or lecithin.

In making these moves, producers are targeting a multi-billion market for soy products. Manufacturer sales of soy foods are expected to increase from nearly $6 billion in 2000 to $6.9 billion in 2005, at an annual growth rate of 2.7 percent, during the five year forecast period, according to Business Communications Co., Inc., a Norwalk, Conn.-based market research firm. Companies are looking to capitalize on Food and Drug Administration approval that allows food containing 6.25 grams of soy protein to display labeling regarding soy protein's heart healthy benefits.

Copyright © 2001 Schnell Publishing Co. Excerpted and reprinted with permission.

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