Sep 18, 2020
A team from Singapore has developed three soy-based and DHA-rich functional food prototypes from okara. Okara is a by-product of soy milk and tofu manufacturing. The said products comprises of soy-based cream cheese, sliced cheese and cream soup powder.
The Okara has been developed by students at Republic Polytechnic, Singapore, with lecturer Dr. Heng Kiang Soon taking the lead, is all set to take the products to another level of licensing the technology and formulations of it.
To waste no more is the motto of the food industry worldwide. Okara is discarded as food waste and in Singapore around 30 tons of food is thrown away everyday day. Food waste is the third largest greenhouse gas emitter globally affecting the environment and also resulting in economic loss.
Biologically speaking, Okara is rich in fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, and is a potential candidate to be developed as a functional food. The team is hoping to reuse the okara into developing functional foods, which can generate revenue for businesses, as well as cause less environmental impact.
Dr. Heng said, “We aim to maximise the utilisation of whole soy beans used for food preparation. This will help promote a circular economy for food, rather than a linear economy.”
Okara doesn’t come without its limitations. It contains almost 50% insoluble fibre which gives an undesirable texture, and can also cause bloating and indigestibility in some people. To overcome these shortcomings, the team has developed a cost-effective enzymatic and fermentation technique to solubilise the fibre in okara, thereby increasing the soluble fibre content.
The main ingredients that goes into manufacturing are okara, soy milk and whey, and can be promoted as vegetarian. DHA was added to increase the functionality of the ingredients as DHA is important for maintaining healthy brain and the nervous system.
In early studies conducted last year by the team, participants were given soy cream cheese containing DHA for seven days and a washout period after. The small scale Electroencephalography (EEG) trial (n=6) revealed that mental focus improved in the young adults after consumption of the soy cheese, peaking at seven days.
Dr. Heng added, “We see the effects sustained for another four days, which is significantly better than the control group.”
Dr. Heng explained: “Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally present in relatively low amounts in okara and soy milk hence the team added a plant-based DHA into the prototypes. The soy cream cheese contains 250mg of DHA per 25g serving. The DHA content in the sliced cheese and cream soup was comparable to the cream cheese since cream cheese was used as a base ingredient for the former. The soy cream cheese can be used as a spread, slice cheese in burgers and sandwiches, and cream soup power which dissolves in hot water into a ready to drink soup. The sliced cheese and soup have lower sodium and sugar content compared to its dairy peers, which can help maintain healthier blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Soy cream soup also has higher calcium content than similar commercial products”.
To patent and market the product, the team is reaching out to industry partners to license the technology and recipe. Industry partners will be responsible for production and upscaling while Republic Polytechnic will provide technical support.
The team has published its findings and conclusions to the Intellectual Property Intermediary (IPI) under Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Though the project has received many inquiries from different industry, Dr. Heng informed that that the pandemic has led to industry players being more cautious about adopting new business plans, and hence the delay.
Not losing hopes, Dr. Heng is very optimistic about the project being beneficial in the long-term, and will be adopted by most Asian countries where soy milk and tofu are commonly consumed.
Depending on industry responses, the products can be expected to be in retail shelves as early as next year.