history of soy yogurt, soy acidophilus milk and other ... - SoyInfo Center

a locally made Grey Jensen spray dryer; the government
planned to use the dehydrated soymilk in rations that were
lighter in weight and could be stored longer.
“But the Japanese were now invading China and on
August 13, 1937, just eight months after the plant opened, it
was totally destroyed by Japanese crossfi re and bombs. (At
the same time another soy dairy was being run by Julean
Arnold of California and Nellie Lee, a Chinese, both of
the China Nutritional Aid Council, in Dr. Fu’s Children’s
Hospital in Shanghai. They provided their soymilk to 25,000
to 37,000 refugee children a day and distributed millions of
biscuits containing 40 percent okara from their soy dairy.)
The Japanese occupied Shanghai in November, 1937 , and
soon thereafter the Shanghai Sanitarium was closed, to
become a refugee center. The political situation forced Miller
to leave Shanghai.
On May 4, 1937, while his Shanghai soy dairy was
still in full swing, Dr. Miller was awarded U.S. Patent No.
2,078,962. He introduced methods for eliminating beany
fl avor, and for the use of a centrifuge, and an homogenizer.
In the patent he referred to his product as ‘vegetable milk;’
however subsequent pressure from the powerful dairy
industry and the USDA convinced him to Latinize the
name to Soya-Lac. This term was fi rst used in late 1939
for Miller’s fi rst American soymilk; the spelling had been
changed to the present one-word Soyalac by September
1941.
“Miller’s patented process was as follows: Soak 1 part
by weight of soybeans in 8 parts of water at 60 to 75ºF for
6 to 10 hours. Grind well in a burr mill, adding a little water
while grinding, to produce a mixture of 20 gallons water
and 25 pounds ground beans. Ex- tract the soymilk through
a fi ne cloth in a centrifuge at 2,500 RPM in either of two
ways: (1) before heating; or (2) after bringing to a boil,
stirring constantly, in a caldron and simmering briefl y. Now
to the simmering soymilk add 7 pounds each grain sugar
(dextrose, maltose) and oil plus 3 ounces salt. Return to the
boil and simmer, stirring constantly, for 30 to 60 minutes, or
until the fl avor changes from ‘beany’ to ‘nutty.’ Homogenize
in a colloid mill or homogenizer to give a milk containing
3.5 to 4 percent protein and 5 percent fat. Cool, bottle, and
refrigerate, or dehydrate.
“From late 1937, Dr. Miller was in Hankow-Wuhan
establishing the Wuhan Sanitarium Hospital, where he also
had a small soy dairy. Eventually over 15,000 Chinese
refugees, escaping the Japanese troops in the north, fi lled
the hospital compound. Finally in January 1939, as the war
got too hot, Dr. Miller left China and returned to America
in April of that year.” Continued. Address: Lafayette,
California.
425. Shurtleff, William. 1981. Dr. Harry Miller: Taking
soymilk around the world (Continued–Document part III).
Soyfoods 1(4):28-36. Winter.
HISTORY OF SOY YOGURT & CULTURED SOYMILK 172
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
• Summary: Continued. “Introducing Soyfoods to America:
Undaunted, Dr. Miller returned to the U.S., convinced that
soymilk was destined for worldwide acceptance. He decided
to settle in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, where he had formerly gone
to school and later taught. Dr. Miller’s oldest son, Willis,
had returned from Shanghai after the plant there had been
destroyed and in 1938 started his own business, Miller’s
Soy Foods, in Utica, New York. Later that year it moved to
Washington, DC, and was successfully marketing canned
soymilk, okara spreads, and gluten cutlets.
“When Dr; Miller returned to the U.S. he suggested
that he and his son go into business together; Willis liked
the idea. Working with his son, Dr. Miller set up a company
called the International Nutrition Foundation and then began
searching for a suitable site in Mt. Vernon for their new soy
dairy. Soon they found a 140-acre farm, containing a number
of fi ne springs, located several miles outside of town–and
for the remarkably low price of $7,000. Dr. Miller borrowed
money from his brother Clarence to purchase this farm,
then moved into the one large house on the property. Willis
moved his soyfoods equipment from Washington, DC, into
a garage near the house and got the plant running while the
new buildings were being built. In April 1939 Clarence, Dr.
Miller’s second son, left his job in Washington, DC, and
went to Mt. Vernon to help with the work; he later became
accountant and treasurer of the soy business. To help raise
money for the soymilk operation, Dr. Miller set up a private
part time medical practice, with an offi ce in one wing of the
local hospital. Although he had very little money, Dr. Miller
made plans for a 60- by 130-foot building, which he planned
to enlarge later by adding a second story. A local high school
had been recently torn down and he obtained all the bricks
for free if he would haul them away. So each evening after
his medical work was done, Dr. Miller and his sons trucked
the bricks over to their land, cleaned them, and built the new
soy dairy building. The surgeon’s skilled hands were not too
delicate for the rough work. The original building still stands
strong; today it houses the offi ce, lab, and pilot plant where
Loma Linda still makes Soyalac.
“The new plant was completed in the fall of 1939 and
the fi rst products, canned Soya Lac (made in a pressure
cooker and fortifi ed with vitamins and minerals) and Soy-A-
Malt were available late that year; powdered Soya Lac was
fi rst produced in 1940. But contrary to Miller’s expectations,
the American public was simply not ready for soymilk;
acceptance was painfully slow. He decided that, in order to
survive, he would have to develop new products, try to get
his soymilk approved by the American Medical Association,
and, in the meantime, sell his soymilk and related soyfoods
to ready markets in East Asia.
“With his typical boundless energy, Dr. Miller, now
61 years old, started by setting up a plant near the soy
dairy to can fresh green soybeans of the tasty, large-seeded
or vegetable variety, which were grown on the farm.