By Hanne K. Ludvigsen, Product Manager Dairy and Ice cream, Palsgaard A/S. Soy milk has been part of the Asian diet for centuries and changing consumer needs in terms of flavours, fortification and packaging formats have resulted in an increased market. The installation of a soy extraction pilot plant in Palsgaard’s application facility in Singapore opens up possibilities for manufacturers to optimise processing parameters and rejuvenate soy milk drinks. from a much lower year-on-year comparison figure. Soy and other vegetable-based drinks saw a significantly smaller reduction in product launches and have enjoyed double-digit growth in the past year as seen in figure 1. Manufacturers have introduced descriptions such as “scientific technique” on their product labels with English being increasingly used. Contemporary packaging – even on traditional products and recipes – is helping to modernise the image of long-established products. According to Mintel, safety and quality concerns have moved beyond the importance of value and price in many Asian countries and this gives manufacturers the opportunity to build value into their products. The consumption challenge Eight of the top 12 soy drink consuming countries are Asian with Hong Kong residents consuming the most at 17 litres per year per capita, according to Michael Loh, the business development director at supplier London Agricultural Commodities. Loh’s presentation at a soy conference in Taiwan in 2011 noted that while soy drink sales remained high in Asia, manufacturers are faced with the challenge of converting street soy drink sales of raw product into end-product sales. He said, “An emerging business opportunity lies in converting people from consuming ‘street soya’ to packed soy drinks. Hence it is important to know each market segment.”2 Soy milk has also benefited from rising consumer awareness that soy is high in protein and minerals yet low in saturated fat and free of cholesterol. The market for Asian speciality drinks, though, is expected to become more consolidated in the future. Currently, the category remains fragmented with a high level of regional manufacturers. Consumers are likely to become increasingly loyal to wellknown larger brands, as advertising and distribution expansion among leading players raise their Soy beans are important sources of protein and oil in human nutrition, especially in Asia, where soy-based drinks have been part of the diet for centuries. Health benefits of soy proteins include positive impact on cardiovascular and bone health, menopausal symptoms and some cancers. Soy products are also consumed for weight control and as a valuable alternative for people with lactose intolerance, which is extremely high in Asia. Studies suggest that around 90% of the adult population of China is somewhat intolerant to lactose1. In 2008, the number of dairy products in the Chinese market reduced dramatically. Product launches are now increasing, but Figure 1: Year-on-year growth of soy, rice/nut/grain and seed based drinks and flavoured and white milk launches, China. Palsgaard Technical Paper, February 2012 Increasing the value of soy milk 2
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