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

• Summary: This summary of an article of: Rittinger, Fred;
Dembo, L.; Torrey, G.G. 1935. “Soy bean (vegetable) milk in
infant feeding.” J. of Pediatrics 6(4):517-32. April. Includes
a discussion of Lactobacillus acidophilus in the soy bean
milk.
94. Product Name: Acidophilus Vetose (Cultured Soya
Milk). Vetose Nutritional Laboratories.
Manufacturer’s Name: Vetose Nutritional Laboratories.
Manufacturer’s Address: Pting Liang Road, Shanghai,
China.
Date of Introduction: 1936. January.
New Product–Documentation: Raymond S. Moore. 1961.
China Doctor. p. 182. “A special yogurtlike milk was praised
by many; even non-Chinese began to drink it.” Interviews
with Harry W. Miller Jr. 1981-87. Note 1. This is the second
earliest known commercial branded soymilk in East Asia.
Note 2. This is the earliest known commercial soy product
made with Lactobacillus acidophilus–which it features in the
product name.
95. Good Health (Battle Creek, Michigan). 1936. Increasing
use of the soy bean. 71(2):50-51. Feb.
• Summary: “Henry Ford has aided in the development of
the soy bean industry, having urged the planting as a new
opportunity for farmers.
“Manchukuo still produces the world’s largest crop of
soy beans. The culture of this bean is spreading as people
come to know its value for food and many other purposes.
Various attempts have been made to grow them in England,
Germany, and other parts of Europe with poor success. But
the London Times records the harvesting of twenty acres of
soy beans on the Fordson estate, near Chelmsford [England].
Here Henry Ford has a farm of about two or three thousand
acres. His direct interest is due to the fact that he uses this
product in his automobile industry.
“Four years ago Dr. Kellogg discovered that milk made
from the soy bean made a remarkable culture medium for
protective bacteria or so-called ‘friendly germs.’ In soy milk
more than twice the number of these germs can be made
to grow than in cow’s milk. Remarkable results have been
obtained in cases of intestinal disorders through the use of
this milk. The Canadian quintuplets are protected against
bowel trouble by the constant use of soy acidophilus milk.”
96. Kellogg, John Harvey. 1936. Re: Soy Acidophilus Milk
and the Dionne quintuplets. Letter to Mr. William J. Morse,
Bureau of Plant Industry, USDA, Washington, DC, March
30. 2 p. Typed, without signature (carbon copy).
• Summary: “We are having great success with our soy
acidophilus milk. It cured the [Dionne] quintuplets of serious
trouble and keeps them in good health. They have been using
it regularly in their daily food for more than a year and a
half. Dr. Dafoe writes me that he cannot get along without
HISTORY OF SOY YOGURT & CULTURED SOYMILK 63
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it. When he stops the use of it the bowels get bad and he has
to resume its use at once. I shall be glad to have a liberal
sample of this milk sent to you if you would like to try it.”
“Sincerely yours,
“P.S. Dr. Miller of China is one of my old students. He
sent me a sample of his soy milk powder. It was very fi ne in
appearance, but had a rancid fl avor...
“I shall be very glad indeed if you will let me have as
much seed as you can of rapid growing vegetable varieties of
soy beans. I am planting 150 acres this year, but will be glad
to plant 50 more if I can get suffi cient seed for the purpose.”
Address: Miami, Florida.
97. Battle Creek Food Co. 1936. Soy acidophilus milk. Good
Health (Battle Creek, Michigan) 71(3):95. March. Ad.
• Summary: This is a full-page black-and-white ad for Soy
Acidophilus Milk. Note 1. Throughout 1936 there are fullpage
ads for Soy Acidophilus Milk on the back inside cover
of Good Health.
Note 2. This is the earliest document seen with the term
“Soy acidophilus milk” in the title. Address: Battle Creek,
Michigan.
98. Product Name: Soy Acidophilus Milk (Lactobacillus
Acidophilus Cultured in Soy Milk. Renamed Soy
Acidophilus by 1940).
Manufacturer’s Name: Battle Creek Food Co.
Manufacturer’s Address: Battle Creek, Michigan.
Date of Introduction: 1936. March.
Ingredients: Soybeans, water, lactic acid cultures.
Wt/Vol., Packaging, Price: Glass bottle.
New Product–Documentation: A.A. Horvath. 1932.
Some recent views about soya fl our (pamphlet). “In a recent
personal letter to the writer Dr. John Harvey Kellogg of the
Battle Creek Sanitarium brings out the following interesting
experience: ‘We are making increasing use of the soy
acidophilus with splendid results. I am sure it is very much
superior to ordinary acidophilus milk as a means of changing
the fl ora.’” Note: The product was probably not yet sold
commercially.
John Harvey Kellogg. 1934. Method of making
acidophilus milk [from soymilk]. U.S. Patent 1,982,994.
Dec. 4. 2 p. Application fi led 14 June 1933.
Henry M. Stegman. 1935. Good Health (Battle Creek,
Michigan). “Benefi ts from acidophilus milk.” “This soy
acidophilus milk has been prepared and used at the Battle
Creek Sanitarium [in Michigan] and the Miami-Battle Creek
institution [in Florida], and elsewhere for nearly two years
[i.e. since early 1933], and has shown itself to be greatly
superior to other cultures.”
Full-page ads in Good Health. 1936. March to
December. In August a recipe for Soy Acidophilus Ice
Cream was published. In liquid form the milk contained
3.6% protein and 1.5% fat. L.B. Breedlove. 1936. Chicago