All Soy, All Day By Lisa Schofield That's Soy Italian! A recent deal inked between a soyfoods manufacturer and a major fast-food chain may open the doors all the way for mainstream consumers to get to know - and enjoy - soy. Galaxy Nutritional Foods, Orlando, FL, a manufacturer of plant-based dairy alternatives for the retail and foodservice markets, announced that Sbarro, the Italian-food chain, has approved system-wide (800 locations) use of Galaxy's soy Veggie Mozzarella, which offers consumers a low-fat, dairy-free alternative. "The Sbarro management team recognizes that the Veggie Mozzarella position brings them a terrific avenue for strong incremental sales as evidenced by our success at Pizza Hut stores in the Fort Wayne IN, area," described Angelo Morini, chairman and president of Galaxy Nutritional Foods. Now, with the healthy benefits of soy-based foods becoming widely known, he pointed out, Sbarro represents one of the mainstream players in the fast-growing new foodservice category of phytonutrient-rich foods. Thanks to modern food processing and advanced technology in flavoring, one can (if so desired) eat and drink nothing but delicious soyfoods all day, every day. There is enough out there, from Tofurkey, to soymilks, to soy ice cream, and soy chips, and soy cheeses, soy peanut butter, soy coffee, and soy soups to subsist on daily. We don't have enough space to detail all that exists in the wonderful world of soyfoods, but we will present a number of those newer soyfoods and soy beverages that represent growing trends and innovation. "The soyfood category has evolved from its natural foods niche to becoming a mainstream food category," observed Mary Adams, director of marketing for White Wave, Boulder, CO. "As such, product development is proliferating products which can expand the category and appeal to every plate. From tofu, the category has expanded to pasta, ice cream, hot dogs, snacks and, of course, soymilk." According to Liberty Richter, Saddlebrook, NJ, which distributes Belsoy soyfoods, the soyfoods market is experiencing double-digit growth, and the soymilk market is expected to double in size from $390 million in 2000 to more than $800 million in 2004. The soymilk market, said Liberty Richter, is currently in the growth stage of its lifecycle. The soymilk market also grew 23 percent between 1999 and 2000, outpacing the soyfoods market as a whole, which grew by 17 percent for the same period. These figures represent a major evolution of soymilk consumers and the new generation of products that have swelled this market. In fact, recalled Linda De Keersmaecker, U.S. marketing manager of Belsoy, based in Wevelgem, Belgium, "the first consumers drinking soymilk were the 'medical captives.' These were people who were allergic to cow's milk and had no other alternative than to drink soymilk, even if they did not like the taste very much," she said. A new group of consumers, De Keersmaecker said, are called "the control seekers," are comprised of those who choose soymilk because of its health value but want products that taste "great." Members of this group also want variety of products. "The consumer of today is well aware of the health benefits of soy and is ready to fit soy in her daily eating habits, but does not want to compromise on taste," she stated. Beyond Black & White The trend in soymilks, which are quite filling, have gone beyond chocolate and vanilla flavors. Food processing and flavoring technologies have advanced so that soymilks now come in exotic flavors that are sure to please quite a few tastebuds. As the category continues to appeal to the mainstream shopper, said Adams, consumers demand what they have always demanded from food products: the product must taste good. "This is the opposite of the original consumer who was willing to drink bean juice because it offered health benefits over other product alternatives," she pointed out. "Just as consumers have flavor choices in other beverages, soymilks are responding with a variety of tastes." For example, White Wave's popular Silk brand is now available in Organic Plain, Vanilla, Chocolate, Mocha, Chai, Nog and in coffee creamers. As more and more research shows health benefits for different demographic groups, a wider and wider audience is being targeted for soy products. Soy Fusion, from American Soy Products, Saline, MI, is one of the first exotically flavored soymilk success stories. Soy Fusion blends certified organic soybeans with pure fruit and vegetable juices (Berry) or matcha green tea. Both are gluten- and casein-free. According to marketing manager Geralyn Lemanski, Soy Fusion was initially a natural extension of the company's Vruit brand pure fruit and vegetable juice blends. "At least for the Berry Soy Fusion, we basically added soymilk to our Berry Veggie Vruit flavor, and voila, we liked it a lot. The testing we did confirmed that not only do adults like it, but kids like it as well. When we found that it would be confusing for the consumer to look for our soy beverage in the juice aisle, we decided to position it as a soy beverage." Yu, from Internova, Inc., Quebec, Canada, is a line of non-dairy soy beverages that also contain millet, buckwheat and amaranth. The distinctive flavor, said sales director Helene Dorion, comes from the processing plus the trio of grains that subtly enhance the flavor. Yu offers 6.25 g of soy proteins and 40 mg isoflavones per 8-oz. serving. It is offered in six flavors - Original, Coffee, Tropical, Almond, Peach & Pear, and French Vanilla. New to the U.S. market is Belsoy, a popular European brand of soymilk and soy pudding. The soymilk, offered in aseptic packaging, is available in Chocolate, Original, Strawberry and Banana. Each serving provides 30 mg of isoflavones. In response to the rapid sales of soymilks in mass and natural channels, Pacific Foods of Oregon, Portland, OR, has added a new 64-oz. family size for its Soy Select, and Soy Ultra soymilks. Ron Martell, vice president of marketing, said that the half-gallon size offers its customers "convenience and an economical alternative. The growth of the all-natural , non-dairy beverage industry has been so enormous over the past five years that we wanted to respond with greater options," he said. Soymilks have begun to be targeted to specific consumer groups. For example, Power Dream, from Imagine Foods, San Carlos, CA, is a soymilk geared for athletes, with 60 mg isoflavones per serving. It is offered in five flavors. The company has an aggressive marketing campaign for the line, advertising in athletic specialty publications such as Bicycling, and Triathlete, as well as setting up booths at several Ironman events, and sponsoring several sporting events. Lifeway, the Morton Grove, IL manufacturer long known for its kefir products, has introduced SoyTreat, billed as the first non-dairy soy-kefir, a probiotic cultured soymilk. Each 32-fl-oz. SoyTreat offers 6.25 g of soy protein and seven active probiotic kefir cultures. It is offered in such diverse flavors as Rum Raisin, Coconut and English Toffee, among others. Similarly, San Francisco, CA-based The WholeSoy Company, recently launched WholeSoy Cultured Soy Drink with live active cultures, in four flavors: Strawberry, Apricot Mango, Peach, and Raspberry. For those who want their soy hot, so to speak, New York, NY-based SoyCoffee.Com, offers a caffeine-free coffee-like beverage made from soybeans. Each serving of SoyFree offers 57 mg of isoflavones. Titillating Tofu Besides this writer, there are very few who enjoy eating tofu plain. And for those who like their tofu already "kicked up," there are more choices today than ever. Market leader Nasoya, from Vitasoy USA, Inc., Ayer, MA, is available in such spicy varieties as Thai Peanut, Teriyaki, Mesquite Smoke, and Tex Mex. Positioned as meat and even "veggie burger" alternatives, the company suggests that the Baked Tofus can be served hot with one's favorite vegetables, rice or pasta, or as a sandwich stuffer. For the more luxurious gourmet palates, you can offer the 100 percent organic More than Tofu, from Sunergia Soyfoods, Charlottesville, VA. This line of tofu has a firmer texture and additional soy protein. The line comes in: Savory Portabella, Peanut & Ginger, Indian Masala, Porcini Herb, Garlic Shiitake, Italian Herb, Spinach Jalapeno, and Soy of the Sea. The latest flavor is Fine Herb. Sunergia Soyfoods co-founder John Kessler who created the line, surveyed consumers about their perceptions and attitudes of tofu when he set about launching the company. "Most people said they wanted to add tofu to their diets because of the health benefits, but they didn't know what to do with it," said Marsha Burger, co-founder. "They also said they didn't like the texture. We addressed both issues by adding textured soy flour to give it heartier texture, and created gourmet varieties of herbed and marinated tofu." But wait, there's more. Sunergia Soyfoods also makes Soy Sausages. These vegan soy sausage alternatives combine textured soy flour and wheat gluten, and are offered in five flavors: Breakfast Style, Mild Italian, Chorizo, Smoked Portabella, and Spicy Italian. In between meals, your soy-loving customers can snack on Soy Tortilla Chips, available from Wessanen USA, St. Augustine, FL. These snacks have no artificial ingredients. They are made from stone-ground organic corn with soy protein isolate. They are available in six flavors: Hot Tamale, Sour Cream & Onion, Nacho, Black Bean, Lightly Salted Blue Corn and Lightly Salted Yellow Corn. Treat Time! Who could resist a yummy, creamy dessert-type treat? When weight watching, and keeping the body clear of junk, soyfoods technology shines here, too. Belsoy offers soy pudding in Chocolate, and Vanilla. Both are gluten-, cholesterol- and lactose-free. The WholeSoy Company last Spring launched a premium ice-cream alternative, WholeSoy Glace, described as a rich, creamy soymilk frozen dessert offered in four flavors: Vanilla Bean, Very Strawberry, Swiss Chocolate and Mocha Fudge. Soy Dream, from Imagine Foods, is a line of organic frozen soy desserts. Divided into four subgroups, Dreamwich, Heavenly Pie, Lil' Dreamers and Rocket Bar, each variety is made with 100 percent organic ingredients and are dairy-free. Soy yogurts are gaining in popularity as a snack or meal adjunct. White Wave's Silk cultured soy yogurt is lactose-free, dairy-free and procured from GMO-free soybeans. It is offered in 13 flavors, including Apricot Mango, Key Lime, and Lemon Kiwi. The WholeSoy Company also offers a yogurt-style creamy cultured soy product in five varieties: Lemon, Cherry, Vanilla, Blueberry and Plain. Each vegan variety has live active cultures and is lactose-free. VR
	Vitamin Retailer 431 Cranbury Road  •  East Brunswick, NJ 08816 Phone: (732) 432-9600  •  Fax: (732) 432-9288 info@vitaminretailer.com