Soya Based Food Products

Abstract

Soybeans possess a very high nutritional value. It contains about 20 per cent oil and 40 per cent high quality protein (as against 7.0 per cent in rice, 12 per cent in wheat, 10 per cent in maize and 20-25 per cent in other pulses). Soybean protein is rich in valuable amino acid lycine (5%) in which most of the cereals are deficient. In addition, it contains a good amount of minerals, salts and vitamins (thiamine and riboflavin) and its sprouting grains contain a considerable amount of Vitamin C, Vitamin A is present in the form of precursor carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the intestine. A large number of Indian and western dishes such as bread, `chapati’, milk, sweets, pastries etc., can be prepared with soybean. Wheat flour fortified with soybean flour makes good quality and more nutritious `chapati’. Soybean oil is used for manufacturing vanaspati ghee and several other industrial products. Soybean is used for making high protein food for children. It is widely used in the industrial production of different antibiotics. Soybean builds up the soil fertility by fixing large amounts of atmospheric nitrogen through the root nodules, and also through leaf fall on the ground at maturity. It can be used as fodder; forage can be made into hay, silage etc. Its forage and cake are excellent nutritive foods for livestock and poultry. Soybean being the richest, cheapest and easiest source of best quality proteins and fats and having a vast multiplicity of uses as food and industrial products is sometimes called a wonder crop.