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

Genice Foods Ltd. (founded 1988, acquired March 1989).
Self-proclaimed as “Europe’s leading healthier food group,
most of these companies make tofu or soyfood products.
In April 1989 Huegli AG, a leading Swiss food
company, purchased 75% ownership in Yamato Tofuhaus
GmbH, one of West Germany’s leading tofu manufacturers.
At about the same time, Huegli purchased Horst Heirler, the
country’s leading distributor of fresh products.
Also in April 1989 Lima N.V. of Belgium, one of
Europe’s earliest natural foods companies, purchased
Jonathan PVBA, Belgium’s leading tofu manufacturer.
In Sept. 1989 Innoval (formerly Sojalpe), an acquired
affi liate of Les Silos de Valence (a large 5,000-member
cereal cooperative in Rhone Alpes, France), began to
produce tofu, soymilk, and liquid soy concentrate (with an
ultrafi ltration unit) at a modern new plant, with a capacity of
2,000 liters/hour, purchased from Alfa-Laval at a cost of 20-
21 million French francs.
In Feb. 1990 Euro-Nature, a French investment fund,
purchased 97% Lima N.V. of Belgium.
In early 1990 Avo Feinkost GmbH, a large West German
spice from Osnabrueck, launched the Sofi t line of soy
products, including various meatlike products, dressings, and
salads.
880. Seewer, Conrad. 1990. The tofu market in Switzerland
(Interview). SoyaScan Notes. May 17 and 21. Conducted by
William Shurtleff of Soyfoods Center.
• Summary: Galactina was the fi rst company in Switzerland
to sell tofu in supermarkets. In about 1984 their tofu was
sold in a test market in the Bern area at Co-op supermarkets
under the Galactina brand. After a while Co-op introduced
their own tofu product, made for them with the Co-op brand
by PLL in Lausanne from soy protein isolates. Galactina
does not consider that product or the Yasoya made by Baer
to be a types of tofu. Tofu must be made from soymilk by
the traditional process. Co-op still labels its product as tofu,
but they may not be able to continue since the regulations are
now getting stricter. Co-ops isolate tofu replaced most (but
not all) of Galactina’s tofu in Co-op supermarkets, which
hurt Galactina’s sales a lot. Co-op then introduced a yogurttype
product made by PLL, which they called Soya Dessert,
but it is no longer on the market. Co-op also now carries
Baer’s Yasoya, which is like a tofu made from isolates and
with 2-3% lactose added. It is different in consistency from
the isolate tofu made by PLL, and it is marketed completely
differently and is not private labeled for Co-op. Now
Galactina tofu is sold in all department stores that have a
food department, and most of the stores that sell milk (The
“White Chain” controlled by milk distributors). Starting
in 1989 Galactina started to sell its tofu (1 tofu, 2 bread
spreads, and 2 salads) in Switzerland’s 500 Reform Houses
under the brand name Galaform with the Biona certifi cation
symbol (like the Neuform in Germany); 90-95% of the
HISTORY OF SOY YOGURT & CULTURED SOYMILK 328
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Swiss Reform Houses are Biona stores with the Biona label.
Products with the Biona label can only be sold in Biona
Reform House stores and must meet certain quality and
production specifi cations. In 1-2 months Galactina will come
out with new labels that look even fresher and tastier.
Seewer thinks (though he has no market statistics) that
Migros/Conserves-Estavayer is the biggest tofu maker in
Switzerland (but they only have 2 products), followed by
Galactina, then Soyana, and PLL/Co-op. He is not sure
which of the last 2 is largest. There is a smaller tofu company
in Bern [Berner Tofurei] selling regionally; he also owns a
health food store.
A rough estimate of the total size of the tofu market
in Switzerland would be 500,000 kg/year. The growth rate
has been uneven. In the beginning in 1984 and 1985 there
was a boom. A number of products were introduced at that
time that were not properly developed and of low quality.
Then consumers got frustrated because many felt that tofu
didn’t taste good and was diffi cult to cook, etc. In 1986
the market dropped; Co-op and Migros reduced their lines.
Now tofu is catching on again. Galactina has introduced
“third-generation” products that taste good, but it takes a lot
of marketing work to re-establish tofu and tofu products on
the market. Over the past year, Galactina sales have grown
about 10%. The fi rst generation is plain tofu. The second
generation is tofu with taste, as with 50% diced vegetables or
some fl avors mixed in. Third generation would be a burger
or sausage, ready to heat and serve, or a bread spread that
contains less than 10% fat. Address: Marketing Manager,
Galactina Ltd., Birkenweg 1-6, CH-3123 Belp, Switzerland.
Phone: +41 31 811 111.
881. Speck, Peter. 1990. The tofu market in Switzerland
(Interview). SoyaScan Notes. May 23. Conducted by William
Shurtleff of Soyfoods Center.
• Summary: The market has been stable and without much
change for the last few years, but now there seems to be
a slight upturn. However some new second-generation
products will soon be launched. Galactina has a tofu
burger and Migros will launch one in the next few months.
Galactina and Migros are the main companies selling tofu
in supermarkets; both are doing a good job marketing. Coop
is selling a tofu made by PLL with soy protein isolates
under their own brand. During the last year a number of
publications showed that this tofu was made with isolates
and that gave Co-op a very bad reputation. This adverse
publicity did not hurt other types of tofu. Co-op announced
on television that they are considering changing the product
name from tofu to something like “soy product” or “soy
curd.” They do not have the equipment to make tofu from
whole soybeans. Soyana is still on the market but mainly
in health food shops. Not much has happened with Soyana
in the last year; a few years ago they were much stronger.
Baer makes one soft tofu in one bland and 3 spiced fl avors;