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

Commercial soymilk kefi r, named SoyTreat, was
introduced into the United States in Nov. 1999 by Lifeway
Foods Inc.
505. Gullo, Karen. 1983. Soyfoods consumption hits all-time
high. Vegetarian Times. June. p. 12. [1 ref]
• Summary: This is a review and summary of Soyfoods
Industry Directory and Databook 1983 by Shurtleff and
Aoyagi. 1982 USA production and retail sales fi gures are
given for the following foods: Tofu (27,500 tons, $50 million
in 1981), tempeh (450 tons, $2 million), and miso (750
tons). Four factors contributing to the growth of soyfoods are
summarized. “Low-calorie convenience soyfoods products
and frozen, meatless ‘heat and serve’ entrees will play and
important role in soyfood’s entrance into the mainstream
American diet... Dairy-like soymilk and soymilk shakes,
yogurt and ice cream, tofu cottage cheese and tofu burgers
will soon be low-cost, low-calorie alternatives to mainstream
supermarket fare.”
506. Soyfoods. 1983. The Miami soyfoods scene [Heartsong
Tofu, Sunshine Soy, Swan Foods, Swan Gardens, Unicorn
Village, Oak Feed Store]. Summer. p. 38-39, 43.
• Summary: In Miami, three major tofu companies make
about 25,000 pounds a week of vacuum packed tofu,
prepared tofu products, and tempeh.
Brightsong Tofu: Bob and Toni Heartsong began
making tofu in “1976 in a south Miami cottage style tofu
shop which lasted until 1978. Making 900 pounds of handmade
tofu every week, the Heartsongs pioneered the Miami
market, fully one year before the legendary and short-lived
Swan Foods was opened in 1977. In January 1978 the
Heartsongs moved to Redwood Valley, California, to help
launch Brightsong Tofu. Meanwhile in 1977 they had written
and Banyan Books had published, The Heartsong Tofu
Cookbook, one of the fi rst designed-for-tofu cooking guides.
Bob Heartsong then worked in Hawaii for Mrs. Cheng’s
Soybean Products where he made 600 pounds of tofu daily.”
Finally, the Heartsongs, peripatetic tofumakers, returned
to Miami and in January 1982 opened Heartsong Tofu, a
“1,200 square foot plant where today they produce 4,500
pounds of vacuum packed tofu each week (with an 18-day
shelf life).” The company employs 6 full-time and 2 parttime
workers. A list of their tofu products and equipment
is given. The Grand Union supermarket chain sells $2,200/
week of their tofu products.
“Sunshine Soy, owned and managed by Danny Paolucci,
occupies 2,500 square feet, in suburban Coral Gables, of
what once was a Borden’s walk-in cooler... Paolucci opened
Sunshine in June 1980, a company which today produces
4,000 pounds of tofu and various secondary products every
week.
“Previously Paolucci served as production manager
for Swan Foods until its closing in December 1978. [Note:
HISTORY OF SOY YOGURT & CULTURED SOYMILK 203
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
Swan Foods opened in 1977.] Paolucci often measures
his Sunshine Soy’s sensible survival against Swan
Foods exciting but disastrous history. Swan Foods was,
unfortunately, a textbook example of uncontrolled growth
marked by nonmanagement: no competition, distribution
by the formidable Tree of Life, a wildly innovative product
line, a quadrupling of sales in the fi rst 18 months, $2,200 in
weekly sales–ending in a disheartening crash. Their product
line included baked, marinated, regular, and caraway tofus,
soymilk (1,000 quarts weekly), tofu cashew pie, tofu dips
and salads, soy yogurts, and soymilk shakes.
“Sunshine Soy, which employs four workers, has a
privately labelled vacuum packed tofu (Golden Harvest
brand) in most of Florida’s 100 General Nutrition Centers;
Tree of Life, out of St. Augustine, handles the distribution.”
Swan Gardens: “Commanding the top tofu market
position in Miami, Jocelyn and Richard McIntyre’s Swan
Gardens, which moved to south Florida in 1979 from
Montana, produces 15,000 pounds each week of vacuum
packed tofu. Their 10,000 square foot plant uses only 3
production workers, each working 10 hour days, 5 days
weekly–a model of streamlining. In March 1982 Swan
introduced their boxed tofu (see New Products, this issue)
featuring their fi rm (16.6% protein) tofu which sells for
$1.19 a pound in produce at Winn Dixie. A major Florida
distributor moves an estimated 5,000 pounds of their
dealer brand every week as far north as Washington, DC.
Recently Swan introduced an okara tempeh with a two
week refrigerated shelf life, and this product joins their
Spicy Soysage and Baked Tofu, also vacuum packed. Swan
Gardens tofu is pre-dated 4 weeks for the supermarkets but
McIntyre claims it remains microbially sound for 6 weeks.
The company is comfortably profi table.”
Photos show: (1-2) Bob Heartsong, with tofu pressing
in stainless steel forming boxes, and a close-up of his line of
products. (3-4) Danny Paolucci and a close-up of his line of
products. (5) A close-up of Swan Gardens’ products.
“On the retail natural foods level, four major stores
share the bulk of Miami soyfoods sales. The Unicorn Village
in North Miami Beach is stocked with 25 soy products...
The Unicorn itself prepares a Tofu Cottage Salad, Eggless
Egg Tofu Salad, Baked Tofu, and Tofu Onion Dip in their
restaurant for retail sale in their adjoining store.” Also
discusses: The Oak Feed Store, a macrobiotic retailer in
Coconut Grove (carries 44 soy products). Sundance Natural
Foods in downtown Miami (many tofu-based deli items
prepared in their kitchen). Nature’s Touch in Miami.
507. Shurtleff, William; Aoyagi, Akiko. 1983. The book of
tofu. 2nd ed. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press. 336 p.
Illust. by Akiko Aoyagi Shurtleff. Index. Aug. 28 cm. [321
ref]
• Summary: Three parts of this new edition have been
extensively revised and updated: (1) “Tofu Makers in the