First, let's look at the old fashioned soy "milk"-making process. It
began with a long soak. The softened beans were then ground on a stone grinder, using massive amounts of water. The mush then went into a cloth bag, was placed under a heavy rock, and pressed and squeezed until most of the liquid ran out. The soy paste was then boiled in fresh water. Large amounts of filthy scum rose to the surface ans was carefully removed. Reference: Shurtleff, William, Chronology of soymilk worldwide: Part I, 220 A.D. to 1949, Special Exhibit, Museum of Soy, 2001, www.soydailyclub.com. and Wallace GM, Studies on the processing and properties of soymilk. J Sci Food Agric, 1971, 22, 526-535.
The Modern processing of soy "milk":
The modern method of processing is cheaper - and some manufacturers retain the scum. Reference: Japanese food maker to use new technology to create whole bean soyfoods. JIJI via NewsEdge Corporation. www.soyatechn.com. Posted 4/27/04. Modern methods also speed up the pre-soaking phase with the use of an alkaline solution, skip the squeezing and skimming steps, use common tap water, and cook the soy paste in a pressure cooker. The speed comes at a cost: the high pH of the soaking solution followed by the pressure cooking destroys key nutrients, including vitamins and the sulfur- containing amino acids. This processing combination also decreases the quality of the amino acid lysine and may produce a toxin, lysinoalanine. Reference: Liu, KeShun. Soybeans: Chemistry, Technology and Utilization (Gaithersburg, MD, Aspen, 1999) 151-153.
WARNING! Avoid Homemade Soy"milk!"
Soy"milk" making machines ignore centuries of accrued wisdom. They boast that their machines make soy"milk" in only 25 minutes and that they don't require presoaked beans. Soymilk that has not been properly soaked, skimmed and cooked at length is guaranteed to deliver a full load of the soybean's antinutrients. For most soy"milk" drinkers, that could mean digestive distress, gas, and mineral malabsorption. Source: Make soymilk with SoyToy - new machine, unique process, Business Wire via NewEdge Corporation. www.soyatech.com. Posted 6/17/2002. Detailed information about the antinutrients in soy and the importance of deactivating them through proper processing is provided here at The Science of Health Index.
Combatting the unsavory taste of soy"milk" by adding sugar:
The Center for Food Reformation at TIAX, a collaborative product and technology development firm based in Cambridge, MA, recently compared 64 soymilks on the market and concluded that the most common way food processors meet "consumer flavor expectations is to add sugar." Between 4 to 6 grams (slightly less than 1 teaspoon to slightly more than 1 tablespoon) is needed to sweeten and eigh-ounce serving of soy"milk." Source: Soymilk industry still struggling to satisfy consumer taste: study by TIAX's Center for Food Reformation shows sugar levels in soymilk on the rise. August 13, 2003. www.thesoydaily.com. White paint improves color and texture of soy"milk": Titanium oxide, a form of white paint, was once popular for improving both color and texture of soy"milk." Those who didn't shake their soy"milk" containers properly often found watery lumps of white goop at the bottom. The soy"milk" needs some kind of oil to provide creaminess, canola oil - not soy oil - is often added. The soy industry knows its own oil is not perceived as healthy. Reference: The Whole Soy Story, The Dark Side of Americas Favorite Health Food, Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN, New Trends Publishing, Inc., Washington, DC, 2005, ISBN 0-9670897-5-1, pg. 69.
Harmful soy product thickener:
Yogurt, pudding, milk and cottage cheeses made from soy often contain a seaweed known as carrageenan used as a thickener.This water-soluble polymer or gum often serves as a fat substitute. For years food scientists assumed it to be safe, but recent studies show that carrageenan can cause ulcerations and malignancies in the gastrointestinal tract of animals. Reference: Thickener used in soymilk may cause health problems, study says. Environmental News Network, Sun Valley ID, via. NewEdge Corporation. Posted 10/22/2001. www.soyatech.com.