Raw Materials
Soy milk requires only soybeans and water (and steam) for its creation. Soy milk is
nearly always fortified with calcium, vitamins D, and certain B vitamins. Highly
concentrated flavorings, such as vanilla, carob, chocolate, and almond are often
added to the finished product. Many companies add sugar and salt to the drink to
make it more palatable to the consumer.
The Manufacturing
Process
The soybean is a low acid food and as such, is a good host for the breeding of
harmful bacteria. Thus, the manufacturing process is "aseptic," meaning that at a
certain point in its production, the soy milk is sealed off from any air because it might
introduce dangerous bacteria into the product. The development of successful,
affordable aseptic production of soy milk has been of tremendous importance in the
mass production of this beverage. The initial phases of the production of soy milk do
not have to be sealed off to air; only later does this happen.
De-hulling
2 The soybeans are steamed and split in half. This loosens the hull on the bean. A
vacuum sucks off the hulls.
Invalidating the indigestible
enzyme
3 Next, soybeans must be cooked in order to invalidate, or counteract, a
specific enzyme which makes them indigestible to humans. This cooking occurs in
the Enzyme Invalidator, in which the de-hulled soybeans are cooked using high
pressure, Water, and high temperature (creating very hot live steam) to invalidate
that enzyme.
Rough grinding
4 The cooked soybeans then fall into the first rough grinder or mill. Water is added to
the machine and the bean pieces are roughly ground in this first milling.
Finer grinding
5 Although they have been ground once, the cooked soybeans are still rather coarse.
Thus, the fine grinder further pulverizes the bean pellets into small particles. The hot
slurry is white in color with minuscule particles of insoluble soybean particles.
Extracting
6 A large centrifuge is then used to extract the tiny bits of soybean that are insoluble
and cannot be included in the finished product. These particles are separated from
the soy milk slurry using a centrifuge. A rubber roller presses the soy milk slurry
against the surface of a drum within the centrifuge, forcing the liquid inside the drum
while the fibers remain on the outside of the drum. The drum is then scraped of these
fibers.
These soybean fibers are physically removed from the production process at
this time. This waste soy fiber is called okara and it resembles mashed
potatoes. A separate process dries the okara for use other than human
consumption. The fiber-less soy liquid is raw soy milk at this point and is
referred to in the industry as jun.
Blending
7 The jun is injected into large tanks and flavorings, sugar, and vitamins are mixed
separately in smaller tanks. Ingredients of the smaller tank are infused into the larger
tanks, thus blending the flavors with the raw milk.
Aseptic sterilizing
8 At this point, it is essential that the jun be sealed within the equipment until the end
of the manufacturing process (including packaging) in order to keep out air and
ambient bacteria and germs that can grow in low-acid soy milk. Sterilization occurs
with pressure and very hot temperatures within a vacuum for a short period of time.
Homogenizing
9 From the sterilizer, the hot milk is sent to the homogenizer. This breaks down the
fat particles and prevents them from separating from the rest of the mixture. In the
homogenizer, which is essentially a high-pressure piston pump, the is blended as it is
drawn into the pump cylinder and then forced back out in a repetitive motion.
Cooling
10 Next, the hot milk is piped to the cooling tank. Here, the hot milk passes next to
cold plates that lower the temperature of the soy milk to room temperature.
Storing
11 The cooled milk is sent to the aseptic (sealed) tanks and held here in preparation
for packaging. Here, the soy milk is refrigerated, pressurized, and sealed to ensure
no bacteria thrives in the milk.
Packaging
12 A very important part of the production is the aseptic packaging of the product.
Packaging machines have been developed for this product that are able to
mechanically package the product without exposing it to air. The cooled milk is sent
to this packaging machine which has a ribbon of flat packaging (cardboard) threaded
into it. As the milk runs through the machine, the packaging surrounds the milk and a
cutter cuts through the cardboard packaging and the milk, simultaneously folding the
package and sealing the milk within it. A machine glues a plastic spout onto the
sealed package. From here, the product is sent to an automatic sorter that packs a
case and places it on a pallet. A modern factory is able to produce as many as
18,000 packages of soy milk in an hour.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS of tofu
The initial stage involves the cleaning, sorting of the Soyabean followed by dehulling and
soaking at room temperature. After soaking the weight of original soyabean becomes double,
the split (dehulled beans) are ground in hot water in proportionate ratio and filtered to get
milk. The milk is then cooled & citric acid solution is added with slow stirring. Preparation of
soy curd& then it is pressed in paneer making boxes to get final product & then cut into
pieces of approx. desired size and put in cold water for another 30 minutes. Vacuum packed
tofu should always be kept in the fridge and after unpacking, immersed in water.
Textured vegetable protein
Created as a byproduct of soybean oil, textured vegetable protein is
most often used for cooking and an added ingredient in many
processed foods. To make textured vegetable protein, soybean oil
must first be created. Creating soybean oil includes using a high-
pressure press or a chemical such as hexane (or a combination of
both) to heat the soybeans and separate the oil. Once the oil has
been properly separated, you're left with flour or paste that contains
a high amount of protein. The soy flour is then used by
manufacturers and forced through a machine nozzle while it's hot to
create various shapes like chicken nuggets, strips, chunks and
flakes. Once cooled off, the dehydrated textured vegetable keeps
its shape and forms into a tough and fibrous product. To use TVP
in recipes , it must first be rehydrated with liquid before cooking.
Extrusion Process:
Mixing: The defatted protein source is mixed with water to form a slurry.
Heating: The slurry is heated to a high temperature (150-200°C or 300-
390°F) to denature the proteins and gelatinize starches.
Extrusion: The hot, pressurized mixture is forced through a shaping
nozzle, causing it to expand rapidly as it exits.
Fiber Formation: This rapid expansion creates a fibrous, porous
structure.
Shaping: The extruded product can be shaped into various forms such as
chunks, flakes, granules, or strips.
3. Drying and Packaging:
Drying: The extruded TVP is then dried using hot air drying or drum drying
to remove excess moisture.
Packaging: The dried TVP is then packaged for storage and distribution.