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

Newsletter. 1987. 1(3):6. The product was on the market for
only a few weeks, then was withdrawn because of shelf-life
problems and never re-launched, despite huge development
costs. Advertised as “California’s answer to yogurt.”
Note: To make this product a mixture of hot soymilk,
gelatin, and a little calcium lactate is homogenized then run
into cups, where it is cooled until it sets up. There is really no
silken tofu in the product, and the coagulant is really gelatin.
As of 1988 most of the product is said by a reliable source to
contain preservatives, which are not yet listed on the label.
At one point Azumaya came quite close to licensing rights to
the product to Kraft Foods. The radio ads never were aired.
HISTORY OF SOY YOGURT & CULTURED SOYMILK 256
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The product was in stores only briefl y. There were persistent
contamination problems in production at various points in
the process. If it were produced clean, it would have a 6-8
week shelf life. They installed a quasi clean room, but they
never got it under control, though the counts were often
less than 10 since the product was an ideal culture medium.
Travis Burgeson was in charge of quality control. It was
a disaster. Bill left for Hawaii and they agreed to take the
product off the market.
Leafl et. 1989, dated. “Cook your way to the Caribbean.
Free recipes inside.” 3.5 by 5.5 inches. 8 panels. Full color
with photos. Inside text reads: “Guess what’s in this creamy,
fresh fruity treat. It’s not yogurt. It’s not cholesterol. It’s not
a lot of calories. Guess again. It’s tofu like you’ve never
tasted.” Create your own original recipe using Stir Fruity and
win a 7-day cruise for 2 to the Caribbean.
1990. Jan. 20. Free samples of 6 fl avors of Stir Fruity
are being given away at Lucky supermarket in Lafayette,
California. It is sold in racks on a huge bed of ice near the
produce case with the freshly squeezed juices and sliced
fresh fruits, not in the dairy case. The price of a 6 oz.
carton is $0.67 versus about $0.45 for dairy yogurts. The
ingredients are the same except that the last ingredient now
is “potassium sorbate to maintain freshness.” The foil lid
(purple on white) reads: “Stir Fruity. No cholesterol. Low
calorie. Dairy free. Creamy tofu treat. Low sodium.”
1993. June 19. Lucky supermarket in Lafayette now
sells about 10-12 cases of Stir Fruity per week in the produce
case. The nearby thermometer reads 42ºF. At nearby Safeway
supermarket, the Stir Fruity is also in the produce case,
next to rhubarb, but not on a bed of ice. Flavors: Mandarin
orange, black cherry, raspberry, and strawberry.
1993. Nov. Lucky supermarket in Lafayette, California,
stops carrying Stir Fruity. They say that sales are too slow.
Talk with person from Azumaya. 1996. June 17. Stir Fruity
was discontinued about 2 years ago. It didn’t sell well
enough. Azumaya will soon becoming out with a Tofu
Dessert in two fl avors (Sweet, and Almond).
677. Brown, Judy. 1987. Suiting America’s tastebuds: The
new American soyfoods. Whole Foods. March. p. 37-40, 42-
43. [1 ref]
• Summary: An overview, drawing heavily (with
acknowledgment) on Shurtleff & Aoyagi’s Soyfoods Industry
and Market for statistics. Address: Alban & Associates, San
Francisco, California.
678. Hitchins, A.D.; McDonough, F.E.; Wong, N.P. 1987.
Comparison of the effects of corn-soy-milk and corn-soyyogurt
dietary formulations on growth and salmonella
infection resistance of rats. Nutrition Reports International
35(3):567-74. March. Also in Federation Proceedings 45:207
(1986). [9 ref]
• Summary: Modifi ed corn meal-soy fl our-dairy product