BIS asks soy product makers to get quality certification, use ISI mark

The Bureau of Indian Standards on Thursday asked manufacturers of soya products to use 'ISI mark' on their products by taking BIS quality certification.

With the increased acceptance of soy products amid growing health consciousness among general people, the government agency Bureau of Indian Standards on Thursday asked manufacturers of soya products to use 'ISI mark' on their products by taking BIS quality certification.

The ISI mark is a standards-compliance mark for industrial products in India since 1955. The mark certifies that a product conforms to an Indian standard (IS) developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the national standards body of India.

In a webinar organised to create awareness about Indian standards on soy products, BIS said that the use of soybean is getting acceptance in the form of textured vegetable protein (popularly known as soy badi or soy nuggets), soy milk, Tofu, soy dahi, etc, an official statement said.

To maintain the quality and safety of these soy products, physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters and their test methods are standardised.

"Implementation and certification of the Indian standards on soy products will aid in integrating soy products into the Indian diet. Thus, enhanced quality and safety of the soy products will benefit the producer by commanding better prices and the end consumers will receive safe products, enhancing the overall public health," the statement said.

BIS has published seven Indian standards for soy products like fat soy flour, soy milk, soy nuts, soy butter and soy amrakhand. The agency is in the process of developing standards for new soy products.