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TIAX Develops Reduced
Carb/Calorie Soymilk July 15, 2004 (Cambridge, MA) - TIAX, a leading collaborative product and technology development firm, announced today that it has created a soymilk formulation with significantly lower carbohydrates and calories, but with the same level of flavor quality as products currently on the market. The new formulation, which uses a combination of traditional sweeteners and high-intensity sweeteners, could lower calories in a typical soymilk product by as much as 75 percent, depending on how the current sweetened product is made. TIAX discussed the new formulation this week at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting and Food Expo in Las Vegas. The new formulation is a significant breakthrough for the soymilk industry, which has struggled to improve the taste of its products while still maintaining their health benefits. Until now, manufacturers have relied largely on sugar (predominately brown rice syrup or cane juice sugar) to mask the "beany" flavor of soymilk; however the high levels of these ingredients have deterred some calorie and health-conscious consumers. "Given the increased consumer interest in low carb and low calorie foods, manufacturers often face the challenge of making products that are both healthy and appealing to consumers," said Colleen Zammer, principal of TIAX's Center for Food Reformulation. "Formulating soymilk with high-intensity sweeteners will help bridge that gap and enable more people to enjoy the health benefits of soy without sacrificing taste or adding calories." In developing this new formulation, the TIAX sensory panel and product
developers examined different plain soymilks that had been sweetened with
a mixture of traditional sweeteners combined with high-intensity sweeteners,
such as acesulfameK, sucralose, and neotame. The new formulation could be used to totally replace the existing added sugars in soymilk or it could be used in combination with existing sugars. Soymilk has grown into a $386 million industry in recent years, fueled in part by the health benefits of soy, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and improved bone strength. Last year, TIAX compared over 70 soymilk products and found that the level of sugar manufacturers used varied considerably from 4 grams to 16 grams per eight-ounce serving. That research built on a 2001 study by TIAX food experts, which found that despite the popularity of soy-based products, soymilk manufacturers needed to make considerable improvements in taste, texture and consistency in order to ensure repeat purchase of their products by consumers. TIAX's Center for Food Reformulation is staffed by experts from a range of fields including chemistry, biology, food science, engineering and manufacturing, and assists food and beverage, foodservice and food ingredient companies in developing healthier, more consumer friendly food products.
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