Textured Soy Protein Products
Textured Soy Protein Products
INTRODUCTION
In general, there are several key issues
associated with food processing such as screening and
purification of ingredients, applying physical and
chemical treatment aimed at adding food value,
assuring safety and efficiency/convenience in use, and
matching the product to consumers' tastes, preferences
and habits. A wide range of ingredients combined in
varying proportions along with diverse but specific
treatment of these ingredients provides a vast range of
possible permutations, which may be tailored to suit the
needs, tastes, flavor palatability and food value
depending on the specific target consumers.
Consumers' requirements to be addressed in processed foods fall into three major
categories:
a) Taste, flavor, texture, convenience, food habits and economy;
b Food and nutrition values and palatability of a formulation for different target
consumers from the point of view of health and nutrition;
c) Purity requirements, microbiological safety, nutritional quality/efficiency and
regulatory norms-on-foods.
This article addresses all these aspects of developing processed soy foods, while
focusing on textured vegetable products such as soy nuggets and granules. This article has
been prepared considering a semi automatic extruder 1ine with 200 kg per hour capacity, 20
working hours per day and 300 workdays per year.
THE PRODUCT
Soy Bean
Soy bean, like any other pulses, is a leguminous crop but with high nutritional value.
It has about 40 % good quality protein and 20% oil. Native to South East Africa and China,
soybean was imported into the USA over fifty years ago and now has grown to be a principal
agricultural produce of North America. Although a major producer of soybean, the USA uses
very little soy protein as human food, although consumption is increasing. On the other
hand, South East Asian countries use considerable quantities in the form of tofu, bean curd,
soymilk, etc. Developed and developing countries alike are finding ever-increasing
consumer acceptance and use of soy as human food in various forms. The future is therefore
bright for entry into this market.
Relevance to India
Soybean was imported into India about 35 years ago and was initially grown in some of
the northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. It is now being
increasingly grown in a larger number of states. The virtues and value addition potential of
the crop has resulted in increasing acreage planted under this crop. Today, even southern
states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have substantial areas under soybean
cultivation. As a result, solvent extraction and other soybean processing industries have
expanded considerably in these regions. Also, southern Maharashtra has grown into a strong
soybean cultivating area with a good number of solvent extraction industries. In general,
then, given the wide availability of the raw material, there are excellent opportunities for
greatly increasing the processing of soybean for value addition foods.
Major soy producing states are Madhya Pradesh (61 % of total Indian production),
Maharashtra (27%), Rajasthan (9%) and Andhra Pradesh (1%).
! The process totally destroys anti-nutritional factors associated with soy, thus making
the product completely safe for human consumption;
! The product is free of fat and cholesterol, while at the same time providing good quality
protein, which is important for all age groups under all conditions or with any diet
constraints;
! It is precooked and therefore does not require re-cooking. It becomes reformulated
within minutes of mixing with desired dishes.
! Already cooked and controlled in sophisticated conditions, it is light and easily
digested; it easily assimilates into the digestive system making ii highly palatable;
! The highly sophisticated and versatile extruder used for this process is automatic, thus
helping greatly in ensuring hygienic conditions throughout whole processing. The
product is microbiologically safe and secure;
! It is dry, hard and solid and is therefore quite convenient and safe to transport and store
for well over one year, as long as it is out of reach of water or moisture;
! Extrusion cooking of soy yields a product which is 100% vegetarian, but which goes
ideally with non-vegetarian preparations as well.
! The product is 50 - 52% protein on a dry basis, making it one of the richest protein foods
available.
! The product is bland in the neat form and therefore blends beautifully with any sort of
food preparation. It adapts itself naturally and completely and is therefore most
versatile.
MARKET TRENDS
Soy nuggets or granules, technically termed textured soy protein (TSP), are a potent
food product. They are versatile, economical and convenient for consumption by all classes
of consumers on all occasions. In India, with its rapidly growing population, this product has
unlimited potential. The product in bulk economy pack has already grown to a dominating
position, setting a market trend.
Trends
Although this growth was initially slow, the acceptance of TSP as a principal
ingredient in daily food has gained not only momentum over the years but has shown
commendable penetration into different markets and among different classes. By its
nature, the product goes exceptionally well with non-vegetarian and Indian spicy dishes. As
the product is a convenient, protein-rich and affordable substitute to fresh vegetables, it has
found particularly wide acceptance in regions and seasons that witness a scarcity of fresh
vegetables. At the same time, usage is increasing among the middle classes, given
increasing health concerns. Yet, there are still many sizable pockets of the market that are
unexploited and the potential for growth in the production and consumption of granules and
nuggets is very great.
Marketing Suggestions
Market conditions suggest that the product in 20 kg bulk bags should be first
introduced, perhaps most profitably in the south and west regions. The branded product can
be marketed in 250 gm printed carton packs. Marketing/advertising would be required, for
example, demonstrations of special recipe preparations and use of the local print media.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Extrusion Technology
The extruder was first produced by Wengers in the USA. The machine consists of a
barrel in which the food material (soybeans) is carried by a turning screw, and is subjected to
intense frictional stress, which generates heat under high pressure. The heat and pressure
reach a maximum by the time the food material reaches the terminal end, where it is ejected
through the nozzle. The texture of the product undergoes considerable change during
passage through the barrel, from globular to fibrous, and when the material comes out
through the nozzles, it expands to give a porous texture preferred for human consumption.
Due to the high pressure and high temperature cooking in the barrel, anti-nutritional factors
get destroyed while maintaining the nutritional properties. The extruder is very flexible
equipment. It can be used for any flour or combination of flours. The texture of the product
can be varied from fully expanded, to tightly compact meat-like products. The length of the
cooking barrels can be changed. As the product emerges, it is cut using suitable rotating
cutter knives. The shape of the final product can be altered suitably be altering the dies and
the cutting arrangement.
PLANT MACHINERY
The important items of plant and machinery required for the project are given listed below:
Sl.No. DESCRIPTION
01 Main extruder with complete fittings
02 Plate Grinder mills
03 Granulator/flaker
04 Tray drier with electrical coil heaters
05 Weighing scales
06 Sealing machines
07 Bag stitching machines
08 Gravemetric filling Machines
09 Packing line fixtures
10 Quality control equipment
11 Generator set (optional)
This plant and machinery is a semi-automatic fine and requires only 5/6 labourers per
shift for production. Please see appendix VI for a sample TVP project.
PERSONNEL
This project will require the following personnel to manage the production and quality
control activities for 20 hrs productions per day:
PARTICULARS NUMBER
Plant Manager 1
Shift supervisors/chemists 6
Skilled Workers 5
Semi - skilled workers 7
Unskilled worker's 9
TOTAL 28
Apendix I
*: These estimations are made on hypothetical basis only, assuming that plant may run at 100% capacity
and sale of produce.