CONTACT:
Kelly Wells
The Solae Company
(314) 982-1938

TREND TOWARDS SOY/DAIRY BLENDED PRODUCTS SATISFIES CONSUMERS,
IMPROVES BOTTOM LINE

ST. LOUIS, MO. (July 28, 2005) – Would the taste of a soy and dairy protein drink be appealing to consumers and beverage manufacturers? The Solae Company set out to find out just that when the company asked 194 attendees at the recent 2005 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans to “Take the Solae Challenge”. Attendees blindly tasted two vanilla meal replacement beverages – one dairy protein based and one a soy/dairy protein blend - and were asked to state their preference for overall liking.

The soy/dairy blend came out on top - 60 percent preferred Solae’s beverage made from a combination of soy and milk proteins compared to the all-milk beverage. These results were consistent with internal consumer panels conducted by Solae earlier this year, which showed significant preference for the soy/milk blended beverage versus the all-milk beverage. In this taste test, consumers rated the soy/milk beverage significantly better than the all milk beverage on overall appeal, flavor, texture and aftertaste. Across a variety of applications, including ready-to-drink and powdered beverages and nutrition bars, company scientists have found that soy and milk proteins are very compatible from both a flavor and nutrition standpoint.

“Blending soy and dairy together is a great option for food manufacturers looking for relief from high milk ingredient pricing, and looking for new marketing opportunities centered on the complementary benefits of milk and soy,” said Jean Heggie, marketing leader, North America Food for The Solae Company. “At Solae, we invest into research of the health benefits of our products, as well as invest in how we can deliver those benefits in foods that meet consumer taste expectations. Our initiatives in soy/dairy blended products are centered on delivering both great taste and health benefits.”

In additional to nutritional and taste benefits for the customer, a soy/dairy blend can help beverage companies manage their bottom line. Both beverages were vanilla meal-replacement drinks that included 10 grams of protein per 11-ounce serving. The “control” beverage, made with milk proteins, included a combination of non-fat dry milk and calcium caseinate. In the “soy/milk blended beverage,” 20 percent of the milk protein, or 100 percent of the caseinate, was replaced with Solae-created soy protein. Both beverages had identical nutritional profiles but the protein cost of the soy/milk blended formula was nearly 10 percent lower than the all-milk “control” beverage after eliminating the caseinate. Based on this formula, if a processor were buying 500,000 lbs. of caseinate to manufacture such a beverage, and were able to replace all of it with soy protein, the processor would save over $500,000 in formulation costs.
According to Dairy Market News, certain commodity milk proteins, such as caseinates, have increased in costs nearly 30 percent over the last year and nearly 60 percent over the last two years. Processors who have traditionally relied on milk proteins have seen their costs skyrocket and profits erode during this time, while continuing to manage the price volatility risk that milk proteins present. Soy proteins, as an alternative, are more stable and predictable in pricing, and in the current economic environment, offer great potential to reduce formulation costs.

“Raw material costs present ongoing challenges for food processors, and reformulation to manage those costs has become a priority for many companies”, said Heggie. “Our goal is to make sure that the end consumer is still getting a healthy, great tasting product but also helping food processors control their costs. We are fortunate that by using soy protein it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”

In addition to The Solae Taste Test Challenge, the company also demonstrated several other new applications at the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo. It demonstrated its soy protein isolates that can help manage nutrition bar texture and extend bar shelf-life in a dual layer performance bar containing 16 grams of protein/serving, and in a children’s nutritional bar concept which contained eight grams of soy protein/serving. The company also introduced its new cocoa-flavored soy protein nugget - a novel, high-protein crisp that can add texture and cocoa flavor to nutrition bars, cereals and snack mixes.

About The Solae Company
Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, The Solae Company is a global innovator in technology development and the research and application of soy protein. It serves food and beverage manufacturers, dietary supplement developers, retailers and consumers in 100 countries worldwide including the U.S. and Canada, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific region. The company was formed through an alliance between Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG) and DuPont (NYSE: DD). For more than 30 years, The Solae Company has invested in fundamental research to understand the health benefits of soy protein in order to provide better ingredients for better living. Researchers at more than 180 leading universities and research institutions have used soy protein products produced by The Solae Company in hundreds of completed and ongoing soy studies. For more about the health benefits of soy protein, including additional research and sources, please visit www.thesolaecompany.com.

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