By attending, you will have the opportunity to: network and meet with many soy food companies (see list of speakers), gain practical information on soy processing (extrusion, texturizing, soy milk, dairy analogs) and hot topics (biodiesel, aquaculture, biotechnology), the Course manual will serve as a resource for you and your colleagues, and you will interact with University of Illinois faculty involved with soybean research.

Soybean questions

• Do smaller soybeans have a greater concentration of protein than large soybeans?
• Does production location influence the nutrient composition of soybeans?
• Do you plant the same variety of soybean in Iowa as in Manitoba?
• Do soybeans have flavors that are transferred to soy foods?
• Can US farmers supply non-GM (genetically modified) soybeans?
• A food processor in the state of California, USA, wants to purchase organic soybeans. Which of the following is closest to him in terms of logistics costs - Argentina, Iowa (USA), or China?
• If GM (genetically modified) soybeans sell for about $6 per bushel, why do some soybean producers in North America refuse to grow organic soybeans for $10 per bushel?

Soy protein and processing and utilization questions

• How can one use soy protein to improve the quality of a meat product and still maintain an economic advantage over competitors?
• How can one improve the nutritional composition of foods while reducing the production costs?
• How does one increase the cooked yields of meat products while maintaining excellent nutritional composition?
• What type of soy products can be produced by extrusion?
• How does preconditioning affect the texturization process?
• How do ingredient properties such as residual oil, sugar, fiber, and protein dispensability index (PDI) affect the texturization process?
• What is the newest development in soy protein processing?
• Are all textured soy protein ingredients created equal?
• What are the differences in functional properties between the following: soy flour, soy protein concentrate, and soy protein isolate?
• How does one optimize functionality of soy protein ingredients?
• How is meat replaced by soy protein ingredients?

Soymilk processing questions

• Is there a continuous process for soymilk at a rate of 250 liter per hour? How many people would be needed to make the milk?
• How does one adjust the process to make soymilk that contains varying percentages of solids?
• What dairy analogs can be made with soymilk?
• How can you maximize your soymilk extraction equipment to use it for other grains?
• Can soymilk equipment handle special soybean varieties?
• What processing parameters are needed in order to optimize protein extraction in soymilk?
• What should you consider when selecting soymilk packaging materials?
• What soymilk products are available to consumer and industry in India?
• How are soymilk products manufactured and packaged in India?
• In comparison to the West and the Orient, are soymilk products accepted in India?

Soy flour and flakes questions

• What differences are there between soy flour made with a hammer mill and a roll mill?
• How many types of commercial soybean dehulling systems are there?
• How important is the term “all natural” to consumers?
• What are the advantages of using soy flakes as the starting ingredient for soymilk and tofu production?
• How can the properties of baked goods and snacks be improved by the addition of soy flakes?

Marketing questions

• How do you convince people to change a long-standing habit of drinking dairy milk -- to drinking milk made from soybeans?
• What percentage of US households currently drink soymilk?
• What is soymilk’s share of the total milk category?
• What motivates consumers to purchase soymilk?
• Why do you find corn, canola, and olive oil on the shelf but never see soy oil; yet generic "vegetable oil" is almost always made with soy?
• Why do people associate soy with a poor taste even when they have not previously tasted it?
• Why is soy considered by most to be a cheap substitute for meat?
• Is the soy nutrition information found on the Web reliable?

Hot topics questions

• What is the difference between soy sauce made by fermentation and hydrolysis?
• Can soy sauce be processed so levels of sodium are reduced?
• What is MSG? Does soy sauce really contain MSG?
• Not all genetically modified (GM) soybean products that are approved in the U.S. are approved in the European Union. How would you manage your exports of soybeans or products containing soy to Europe? Which soy product(s) would you export?
• According to the U.S. Allergen Protection Act, which are the "big 8" food allergens that need to be labeled in the U.S. starting January 1, 2006?
• According to European Union allergen regulations, which are the "big 12 " food allergens that need to be labeled in food products marketed in Europe?
• If a product contains as ingredients soy protein isolate and sodium caseinate, how would you label this product in the U.S. to comply with the newly implemented U.S. Allergen Protection Act?
• What is the function of the Codex Alimentarius?
• What is the epidemiology support for reduction of chronic disease risk with soy foods?
• What components of soy are responsible for cholesterol reduction?
• Does lifetime consumption of soy foods reduce the risk of breast, prostate and colon cancer?
• Do isoflavone supplements have positive or negative health outcomes?
• Can soy foods play a role in weight loss programs or maintenance of weight loss? ? Are infants or adults more likely to be allergic to soybean?
• Does processing affect the allergy properties of soybeans?
• Do all ingredients derived from soybeans elicit allergic responses in soy-allergic individuals?
• Is highly refined soybean oil allergenic? What does "highly refined" mean?
• Do fermented soy products retain their allergy properties?
• Do GM crops use less pesticides?
• Are GM crops better for the environment?
• How can GM crops prevent Vitamin A deficiency?
• Are GM crops healthier for you than other crops?
• How is biotechnology being used to develop soybeans that will promote health?
• What is a good quality soybean oil?
• What are the best methods to measure oxidative stability in soybean oil?
• What can I do to increase the oxidative stability of soybean oil?
• Do infants fed modern soy formulas grow as well as infants fed cow milk formulas?
• Are there differences in fertility between adults fed soy vs. cow milk formulas in infancy?
• Do individuals fed soy formulas as infants have lower educational achievement than infants fed cow milk formulas?
• Do infants fed modern soy formulas have impaired immune function?
• Do modern soy formulas interfere with thyroid hormone metabolism or the absorption of exogenously administered thyroid hormone?