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Understanding Soymilk
Published on: January 24, 2004
Soymilk and other soy beverages are becoming more and more popular as consumers become more health conscious and seek out alternatives to dairy products. But, we'd like to make sure that our readers understand the difference between each kind. So, here's the lowdown:
The official definition of milk according to the Code of Federal Regulations is "the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows." Therefore, soymilk is not technically a milk, but a beverage made from soybeans. Soymilk and soymilk products are defined as "liquid food obtained as a result of combining: (1) aqueous-extracted whole soybean solids and water; or, (2) other edible-quality soy protein solids, soybean oil, and water." Soymilk products are classified according to composition (concentration of soybean-derived nutrients and total soybean solids) as follows:
SOYMILK
"Soymilk" shall contain no less than 3.0% soy protein, no less than 1.0% soybean fat and no less than 7.0% total solids.
SOYMILK DRINK
"Soymilk Drink" is a beverage that does not qualify as "soymilk" but that contains no less than 1.5% soy protein, no less than 0.5% soybean fat and no less than 3.9% total solids.
SOYMILK POWDER
"Soymilk Powder" is the product obtained by removal of water from liquid soymilk, or by the blending of edible-quality soy protein and soybean oil powders. Soymilk powder shall contain no less than 38.0% soy protein, no less than 13.0% soy fat and no less than 90% total solids.
SOYMILK CONCENTRATE
"Soymilk Concentrate" is the product obtained by modifying the level of water in soymilk so that the product shall contain no less than 6.0% soy protein, no less than 2.0% soy fat, and no less than 14.0% total solids.
The SOYFOODS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA says that "current food labeling regulations in the U.S. recognize that 'a common or usual name ... may be established by common usage ...' and ... that, through common usage, the term soymilk has become the correct common or usual name for these products."
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