Commercial Markets Best Practices: Soy Milk Shop
Providing plentiful
nutritious food at low cost is the greatest need in regions of the world where
the economic, political, and/or social infrastructure is inadequate. The most
practical solution is the production and sale of soymilk and other “soy dairy”
foods at small retail shops conveniently located in appropriate neighborhoods.
Milk produced from whole soybeans has the nutritional attributes equivalent to
cow's milk and in some cases is better.
Sufficient soybeans are
produced to adequately meet the demand. Soybeans are stable and can be shipped
in bulk, containers, or bags. The primary shipping and storage precaution is to
protect from moisture and infestation.
Equipment to produce milk
from soybeans is relatively inexpensive, reliable, and simple to operate. For an
investment of about $10 000 (USD), a soy shop can be set up to produce 40 liters
of soymilk per hour with a protein content of 3.5%. The soymilk produced can be
consumed as is or can be enhanced with sweetener and/or flavor additive
according to consumer preferences. Soymilk can be used to make yogurt and tofu
quite easily.
A by-product of soymilk
production is okara, which is high in fiber content in addition to soy protein.
The okara can be utilized in bread and pastries, hamburger and sausage, and
soups.
The soymilk products can be
distributed in inexpensive packages or in the consumer's container if not in
conflict with local health regulations. If the consumer's container is used, it
should be visually inspected to ensure cleanliness before filling.
On the basis of pricing the
soymilk products significantly below dairy products (at perhaps 1/3 to ½ of
equivalent dairy products, revenue of about $70,000 can be generated from each
unit of equipment (“SoyCow”). Expenses to operate a one-cow soymilk shop on the
basis of 18 hours per day, 250 days per year is $50,000 per year. Gross profit
of about $20,000 per year is possible. See the attached income, expense, and
profit statements.
Profit can be significantly
increased by using two SoyCow units per shop. The space requirements and crew
size (six people) are essentially the same as for a one SoyCow operation.
The soymilk shop concept
represents an excellent entrepreneurial business opportunity. In addition, the
shop concept can be used in hospitals, orphanages, and other institutions for
high-quality, low-cost food production.
Best Practices for Soy Companies
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