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

category should be well defi ned unto itself. Eventually
Demos would like to see this heart/smart concept evolve
into the “soyfoods section.” Since signs identifying sections
are generally not allowed in supermarket cases, the section/
category might be partitioned off with plastic dividers at each
end, like the Pillsbury Doughboy category. King Soopers
has already pioneered this idea, starting in about 1983,
putting tofu between the yogurt and the milk (with no plastic
dividers), on the basis of the demographics, then building
the concept by adding other soyfoods and soymilk. But
tempeh, a slow mover, is now in the frozen foods case, and
the meatlike products (such as hot dogs) are next to Armour
in the deli meats.
Safeway seems to have made a top level decision to
aggressively promote soyfoods. This year they called White
Wave and said, “We don’t know what you make, but give us
everything. Then in August, in their two largest new classy
“Safeway Marketplaces” in Boulder (and maybe in a few
newer or college-oriented stores in Denver), entirely on
their own initiative, they installed temperature controlled
end-aisle cases at the end of the produce section facing the
cash registers. The location is very prominent–an impulse
location. Each case has the word “Tofu” in large letters
on it. Many different types of soyfoods (and nothing but
soyfoods) are sold in these cases–tofu, tofu dressings, tofu
hot dogs, soy cheeses, Stir Fruity (soy-based yogurt), etc.
All White Wave soyfood products in these 2 stores are sold
in the Tofu case. Demos feels that “Tofu” this is the best
title for the case. Also the “Approved by Healthmark” with
the Healthmark logo on each display case identifi es these as
healthy foods. Only foods that are low in cholesterol, fat, and
sodium get the Healthmark. Each case, constructed like an
open dairy case, 5 feet wide by 6 feet high, has a temperature
range of about 35-40º. Demos would defi nitely prefer to have
his products sold in these cases rather than any other location
in the store. White Wave’s main strategy is to “identify a
category,” and to group foods in that category together.
Again, the current category defi nition is cholesterol-free
protein foods, but the long term goal is to have the category
defi ned as “soyfoods.” It is too early to say how the new
isolated cases are affecting sales, but preliminary signs all
look very positive.
White Wave started pasteurizing its tofu in Dec.
1988. Since then they have not had a single complaint of
spoilage or sourness. Pasteurization does effect the tofu
texture, making it fi rmer, but it also makes tofu much more
profi table. White Wave makes both a 16 ounce vacuum
packed and a 10-ounce single serve water-pack tofu. He
prefers the vacuum pack and has worked the bugs out of
his Tiromat so that it is no longer a signifi cant source of
problems. Tree of Life on the East Coast sells un-boxed
vacuum-packed White Wave tofu very successfully, but
Demos strongly prefers to box it. He has a whole new tofu
plant at his new facility with automatic cooking and curding,
HISTORY OF SOY YOGURT & CULTURED SOYMILK 311
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conveyorized press tables and pasteurization.
Concerning the competition: Demos compliments
Morinaga on a brilliant strategy. The net result is to help
in the Americanization of tofu by identifying it clearly as
a protein food and therefore forcing it out of the produce
case. The irony is that when the dust settles, Mori-Nu Tofu
may be the only brand left in what becomes an outdated,
foreign location–with the oriental vegetables instead of
with the protein foods. Azumaya and Hinode are rooted
in the produce distribution network. Getting kicked out of
the produce section will be very hard on them and their
reaction will probably be to fi ght it rather than use it to their
advantage. Address: President, White Wave Inc., 1990 North
57th Court, Boulder, Colorado 80301. Phone: 303-443-3485.
847. Bouno, Mark Anthony; Niroomand, F.; Fung, D.Y.C.;
Erickson, L.E. 1989. Destruction of indigenous Bacillus
spores in soymilk by heat: A research note. J. of Food
Protection 52(11):825-86. Nov. [6 ref]
• Summary: “Boiling of soymilk in preparation for soy
yogurt production does not destroy the indigenous Bacillus
spores which may affect the fermentation process.” However
autoclaving the soymilk at 121ºC for 15 minutes sterilized
it, leaving no detectable viable organisms (i.e. less than
10). The authors recommend this heat treatment before
performing research on the microbiology and biochemistry
of soy yogurt fermentation. Address: 1. Kellogg Company,
Battle Creek, Michigan; 2-3. Dep. of Animal Sciences and
Industry, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, Kansas 66506;
4. Dep. of Chemical Engineering, Kansas State Univ.,
Manhattan, Kansas 66506.
848. Product Name: [Amisoya Soy Yogurt {Fermented
with Living Cultures} (Natural, Apricot, Plum, Bilberry,
Raspberry, Lemon, Wildberry/Fruits of the Forest), Banana].
Foreign Name: Amisoya {Alimento Ai Fermenti Lattici
Vivi} (Natural, All’Albicocca, Alla Prugna, Al Mirtillo, Al
Lampone, Al Limone, Ai Fruitte di Bosco, Banane).
Manufacturer’s Name: Medical Soy S.p.A.
Manufacturer’s Address: Via Matteotti 55, 20068
Peschiera Borromeo (Milan), Italy. Phone: 02.547.54.56.
Date of Introduction: 1989. November.
Ingredients: Banana: Hydrolyzed soybean fl our, active milk
enzymes, fruit (less than 10%).
Wt/Vol., Packaging, Price: 4 x 125 gm plastic cups under 1
paper sleeve.
How Stored: Refrigerated.
Nutrition: Per 125 gm cup: Calories 84.5, carbohydrates
15.3 gm, protein 4.8 gm, lipids 0.5 gm, mineral salts 0.9 gm,
calcium 85 mg, phosphorus 45 mg.
New Product–Documentation: Medical Soy leafl et. 1990.
“Linea Amisoya: L’alt(r)a Gastronomia. Prodotti a base di
soya del tutto privi grassi animali. Prodotti di Soya freschi.
Nutrirsi meglio per rimanere giovani” [The Amisoya Line: