Efforts on to promote soyabean use

US commodity lobby pushes the pulse in India.

Efforts are on to promote the use of soybean flour in traditional foods like papads and in preparation of besan flour and wheat flour, said Suresh Itapu, technical director "" human nutrition, American Soybean Association "" international marketing.

Speaking at the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry's (FKCCI) meet on 'Soy Products - Benefits and Business Opportunities', Itapu said: "This is being done as there is great potential for soya fortification in Indian food products. It is a rich source of nutrients and has a number of phytochemicals which offer health benefits along with the soy protein."

While preparing papads, soy flour can be blended up to 30 per cent to 40 per cent in black gram (urad dal) to make soya fortified papad. Fortification of urad flour with soy flour at 30 per cent will increase protein from 21 per cent to 30 per cent, added Itapu.

Similarly, 10 per cent defatted soy flour is added to wheat flour to make rotis, chapatis and puris. For besan flour, addition of 20 defatted soy flour to besan can be done to make products such as pakora, chilla and kadhi. The products made of these mixes absorb 10 per cent to 15 per cent lesser oil than the products made out of just besan or wheat.

To provide technical support for the promotion of soy-based food industries, the FKCCI has signed an MoU with the New Delhi-based American Soyabean Association - International Marketing.

The MoU is expected to provide vital inputs for prospective entrepreneurs and also encourage small and medium units to take up soy-based food manufacturing.

According to S S Patil, president, FKCCI, "American Soyabean Association - International Marketing had been in touch with us for the past two years for promoting soya industries and today we are beginning our relationship afresh in joint partnership."

Giving the status of soya in Karnataka, Chetan Hanchate, CEO, Centre for Processed Foods, said the state produces around 200,000 tonnes and they are mainly used for oil extraction in and around Hubli and Dharwad region.

"As for the soya food processing units, there are only three. There is scope for more," he added.

"Presently, the Karnataka Agro Corporation has a unit for providing mid-day meal under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and in the private sector, an NGO (Iskon temple's Akshaya Patra mid-day meal scheme) is using soya for many of its mid-day meals preparations as it consumes less power when compared to other traditional pulses," he further added.