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

579. Kates, Joanne. 1985. Tofu for a small planet [Stephen
Yu and Victor Foods in Toronto]. Globe & Mail (Toronto,
ONT, Canada). Oct. 4.
• Summary: Stephen Yu grew up in Canton, then fl ed to
Hong Kong in 1959 with his family when he was 12. In 1969
he went to Halifax, Nova Scotia, to help his older brother
run a Chinese restaurant. He soon owned 2 restaurants in
Halifax, then went to California to study engineering at
Pasadena College. One day a visiting professor at his food
science course lectured on soybeans, food of the future.
Mr. Yu was fascinated. He learned to make tofu working
for the largest tofu maker in Los Angeles. He sold his 2
restaurants and his house, took his life savings out of the
bank, and opened Victor Foods in Scarborough in 1978. A
big leap forward came in 1980, when he got his products into
supermarkets. “But he never forgets his basic market. Tofu
puffs (deep fried tofu) are made for Chinatown, even though
nobody else wants them.”
“Today Kathleen O’Bannon, his staff home economist,
makes tofu chicken pie and tofu chicken salad. Neither has a
hint of chicken, save the chicken stock used to marinate the
tofu. Yet both, thanks to the stock, taste chicken-like.”
Stephen Yu now makes 2 tons of tofu a day, and sells a
million dollars worth of tofu a year. He is now introducing a
HISTORY OF SOY YOGURT & CULTURED SOYMILK 223
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new extra fi rm tofu called Hi-Pro. He dreams of tofu french
fries, pudding, yogurt, and cereal, plus Tofu Cup-a-Soup.
A photo shows Stephen Yu. Address: Canada.
580. Product Name: Cream of the Bean Soygurt [Plain,
Vanilla, Raisin].
Manufacturer’s Name: Cream of the Bean, Inc.
Manufacturer’s Address: 3973 Grove Ave., Gurnee, IL
60031. Phone: (312) 623-4114.
Date of Introduction: 1985. October.
Ingredients: Plain: Whole organic soybeans, fi ltered water,
unsweetened fruit juices, cold pressed corn oil, calcium
sulfate, active cultures.
Wt/Vol., Packaging, Price: 6 oz (170 gm) plastic cup.
Retails for $0.87.
How Stored: Refrigerated.
Nutrition: Per 6 oz.: Calories 146, protein 7 gm,
carbohydrates 16 gm, fat 6 gm, sodium 20 mg.
New Product–Documentation: Labels. Tan and green on
white. “100% organically grown soybeans. Non-dairy. No
cholesterol. No lactose. Low sodium. No preservatives. Fiber
rich.” Ad in Natural Foods Merchandiser. 1985. Feb. p. 62,
and in Vegetarian Times. July. 23, and in East West Journal.
July. p. 22. Label on 6 oz plastic cup. Reprinted in Soyfoods