WISHH Soy News
November 2008
Welcome to the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Soy News! We hope that this newsletter provides you with useful information on the exciting world of soy nutrition. For your convenience, this newsletter offers live links to useful resources, a forward-to-a-friend feature so you can share this newsletter with others, as well as the latest scientific research on soy and health. Also, be sure to visit the WISHH website section on meetings and conferences for presentations from recent workshops in the U.S., Nigeria and Ghana!
Sincerely,
Jim Hershey
WISHH Executive Director
Silk® Donation to World Soy Foundation Will Support Adventist Development and Relief Agency School Feeding in Ghana
 Silk®-WhiteWave Foods support of the World Soy Foundation will allow the World Soy Foundation to increase its school feeding efforts with Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Ghana. The funding will allow the World Soy Foundation to purchase, transport and install a “VitaGoat” soymilk processing machine as well as train operators and provide a year’s worth of soybeans. |
The World Soy Foundation announced October 16, World Food Day, that Silk® soy milk, a WhiteWave Foods brand, is expanding its commitment to a project that provides nutritious meals to school children in Ghana as well as supports sustainable economic development in the West African country. Silk is donating $75,000 over three years for the World Soy Foundation to increase its partnership with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
Silk first contributed to the World Soy Foundation when the foundation was created in late 2006. That initial support of $20,000 aided ADRA’s school feeding in Ghana, which the World Soy Foundation leveraged through contributions from U.S. soybean farmers. The new funding will allow World Soy Foundation to purchase, transport and install a “VitaGoat” soymilk processing machine as well as train operators and provide a year’s worth of soybeans. As a result, the VitaGoat will produce enough soymilk to feed a school of 280 children for at least one school year and have sufficient product to sell to the community as a sustainable small enterprise. The machine will be placed in a rural community in Western Ghana where local farmers grow soybeans. “Silk is once again walking the walk of sustainability in the campaign against global hunger,” said World Soy Foundation Executive Director Jim Hershey. “This effort will encourage children to attend school where they can receive a nutritious meal while it advances local food production and economic opportunity.”
“Our partnership has allowed us to strengthen our relationship with the community, local farmers, the government, and the local government,” said Dr. William Brown, County Director for ADRA Ghana. “We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with the World Soy Foundation in the future, enabling us to make an even greater impact throughout the entire nation.”
Silk’s contribution is timely, given recent reports of increased hunger around the world. In September, the Food and Agriculture Organization revised the official number of hungry people worldwide up to 923 million, and projects that if high food prices and other factors continue, the number of urgently hungry could climb to more than a billion next year.
“At Silk, we strive to make the world a healthier place in a responsible way,” said Ellen Feeney, Vice President of Responsible Livelihood for WhiteWave Foods, Silk soymilk's parent company. “We are proud to help provide soy to the people and kids who need high protein foods in their diet.”
The World Food Day is commemorated around the globe every year on October 16th by groups that recognize the need to increase awareness and year-round action to alleviate hunger.
The World Soy Foundation works with private voluntary and non-governmental organizations to deliver soy protein and nutrition education to people who need it around the world. Projects sponsored by the World Soy Foundation include complementary foods for children 6-36 months, school feeding programs and nutrition assessment and research services. More information is available at www.worldsoyfoundation.org
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity. Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.
About WhiteWave Foods and Silk
WhiteWave Foods was established when Dean Foods (NYSE: DF) consolidated much of its branded business into one consumer packaged goods organization. Headquartered in Colorado, WhiteWave Foods manufactures innovative, authentic and nutritious branded food products and maintains a proud tradition of social and environmental responsibility. Silk Soymilk was launched in 1996 with the mission of making natural soy milk available to as many people as possible. Silk is available in virtually all major supermarket chains and the complete product line includes a number of varieties and flavors to meet specific tastes and nutritional needs. For more information, visit www.whitewave.com or www.silksoymilk.com.
 WISHH and World Soy Foundation board member Barb Overlie, a Minnesota soybean grower, provides the pedal power that allows the VitaGoat to generate soyfoods without the need for electricity. Overlie organized Minnesota church support for the installation at the Zinozwele Resource Centre in Tugela Ferry, Kwa Zulu Natal. Henry Davies (center) of the Rural Economic Development Council and WISHH Executive Director Jim Hershey assist. |
SoyCow and VitaGoat Herd Grows in Africa
WISHH is pleased to cooperate with numerous initiatives that are bringing more SoyCow and VitaGoat soyfood processing units to Africa. The SoyCows are powered by electricity while the VitaGoats run on human pedal power generated by a cyle. In addition to the Silk-WhiteWave-sponsored effort in Ghana (see first story), here’s a couple of the latest placements:
- Through the World Soy Foundation, the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Committee provided a VitaGoat as well as the training for its use at a day care in Tugela Ferry, Kwa Zulu Natal South Africa. WISHH and World Soy Foundation Board member Barb Overlie organized support from a Minnesota Lutheran Church Conference to provide the soybeans for processing at the facility that is adding soy protein to two meals a day.
- WISHH is collaborating with the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) and Joint Aid Management to establish a viable pre-school feeding program with a SoyCow in Orange Farm, south west of Johannesburg.
WISHH Midwest Workshop Provides Timely Soy-Health Training to Global Attendees
WISHH and World Soy Foundation convened more than 50 representatives of developing country food industries, private voluntary organizations, government officials as well as U.S. soybean processing leaders for the WISHH Midwest Workshop. Companies involved in soyfoods from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa attended the weeklong program. The sessions took place at the National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign to provide training on soy’s health benefits, how to integrate soy protein into diets and product development programs. Soybean growers hosted a tour of their farm.
The WISHH Midwest Workshop is an important opportunity to introduce and train global hunger fighters on how to take advantage of the health benefits of soybeans. The annual event is timely, given recent reports of increased hunger around the world. In September, the Food and Agriculture Organization revised the official number of hungry people worldwide up to 923 million, and projects that if higher food prices and other factors continue, the number of urgently hungry could climb to more than a billion next year.
Sponsors for the WISHH Midwest Workshop are Cargill (gold level) and Solae (silver level). Bronze-level sponsors include Archer Daniels Midland Company, Bunge and Monsanto/Monsanto Fund.
Industry Profile
Ellen Feeney,
Vice President of Responsible Livelihood for WhiteWave Foods
Silk® soymilk's parent company describes the focus of the company, why it supports the World Soy Foundation and other sustainability programs as well as why soy is so important for global health.
Q: Give us an overview of your company and product line.
A: WhiteWave Foods was established when Dean Foods Company (NYSE: DF) consolidated much of its branded business into one consumer packaged goods organization. Headquartered in Colorado, the company is a pioneer in creating healthy, innovative, responsibly produced foods, including organic and natural leaders Horizon Organic®, Silk® Soymilk and Rachel’s® yogurt, and indulgent favorites International Delight® and LAND O’LAKES™ cultured and liquid dairy products.
Silk® is committed to making the world a healthier place through socially responsible and environmentally sustainable business practices. The brand purchases wind power, an environmentally friendly energy source, to offset 100 percent of the electricity used in the production of its products.
Q: What prompted Silk® and WhiteWave to support the World Soy Foundation?
A: Silk and the World Soy Foundation both believe in “sustainable nutrition for all” through the distribution of soy products to malnourished communities all over the world.
Additionally, working towards food security for all people is a key pillar of WhiteWave’s Responsible Livelihood program. Food security helps promote and improve sustainable agriculture for the future and provide sustainable nutrition to regions presently in need of help.
Q: Why do you think soy is such an important ingredient for global health?
A: Soy is a high quality source of protein that offers many health benefits. Current research suggests that eating isoflavone-containing foods, like soy, can help enhance overall health and well-being. Including soy-based foods, like Silk Soymilk, in your diet is a great way to consume those natural isoflavones. In fact, studies have shown that consuming as little as one to two servings of soy a day may help you reap health benefits.
Q: WhiteWave is known for its sustainability programs so could you describe them and why they are so important to Silk®?
A: At WhiteWave Foods, we are committed to sustainable solutions for the environment and the communities in which we operate. Our sustainability efforts are organized under the concept of Responsible Livelihood. We see and respect the connection between what we do to make a living and the rest of the planet.
The three pillars of our Responsible Livelihood mission are sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and food security.
We are working to create a culture that incorporates socially and environmentally responsible initiatives into everyday decisions and activities. To that end, we implemented Values in Action (VIA) in 2006 to promote and reward employee involvement in our communities and environmental initiatives. VIA offers employees the opportunity to learn about sustainability initiatives and gain valuable knowledge which they can incorporate into their communities.
Through the VIA point system, employees can log their efforts related to sustainability and volunteerism and ultimately get rewarded for helping WhiteWave Foods Company live its mission and values. In 2007, WWFC employees logged a total of 199,000 VIA points. Whether participating in individual initiatives like the zero-waste recycling and composting program, Bike to Work Day, or group efforts like Growing Gardens and Community Food Share, employees have made an ongoing commitment to increase VIA involvement by 5 percent per year.
In October 2008, WhiteWave Foods Company (WWFC) was named a Green Power Leadership Award winner by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the fifth time. We began purchasing renewable energy credits to offset the electricity used to produce Silk products in 2003, and have since expanded that initiative to include the our Horizon Organic, International Delight and Land O’Lakes brands, as well as all of the electricity used at its corporate headquarters. To date, the company’s total wind energy purchases are the equivalent of eliminating more than 450 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually or taking 40,200 cars off the road for one year.
Additionally, in 2006, the company established an award-winning recycling and composting program at its headquarters, an initiative that has dramatically reduced the company’s waste and environmental impact. The environmental impact of the recycling and composting program is the equivalent of saving more than 328,000 gallons of water and planting nearly 800 trees.
Soy Nutrition & Health Resources
Soy Southern Africa Website Expands
Soy Southern Africa has enhanced its website to offer even more news and consumer information about soy in Africa. www.soyfood.co.za offers event and product information as well as presentations. Originally founded in 1999, as the Southern Africa Soy Foods Association (SASFA), the SSA offers leadership, training, knowledge transfer, as well as enhancement of product offering, quality, competitiveness, profitability and sustainability of soy products available to consumers.
Soy & Health E-Magazine Available for Free
Soy & Health e-Magazine offers global soy and health news four times a year. It is available electronically at no charge. Subscribe here.
In addition to reports on soy, it includes information on conferences, such as the Soy & Strategic Marketing International Symposium Soy & Health International Conference held in Belgium earlier this year.
Role of Soy and HIV in American Dietetic Association's ‘Positive Communications’ Newsletter
An expert in cardiovascular nutrition, Dr. Vijaya Juturu’s article on the "Role of Soy in Metabolic Complications" was published in the Summer 2008 issue of the American Dietetic Association's ‘Positive Communications’ newsletter. She writes that, "Soy consumption in the HIV-positive population can have a positive effect on plasma lipids, glucose levels, endothelial function, bone density and brain health." Copies of the publication are available for purchase at www.hivaidsdpg.org/Newsletter/Subscriptions.aspx
Currently a senior nutritional scientist at the biotech firm, Nutrition 21, Inc. Dr. Juturu received her Ph.D. in cardiovascular nutrition and M.Sc in Food Science and Nutrition from S.V. University, India, and completed a post-doctoral research fellowship in cardiovascular nutrition at Pennsylvania State University.
Soy Protein's Ability to Lower Cholesterol Confirmed by New Research
A new meta-analysis study confirms that soy protein consumption can lead to a meaningful and significant reduction in blood cholesterol levels. Solae, a leader in soy protein innovation and technology, unveiled the new study on November 10 at the American Heart Association 2008 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana. The meta-analysis found reductions in total blood cholesterol of 9.54 mg/dL and reductions in LDL cholesterol of 7.12 mg/dL (which is about a 4 and 5 percent reduction, respectively). The meta-analyses also examined the effect in individuals who had high versus normal blood cholesterol and found that the cholesterol lowering effect of soy protein was significant in both groups.
Numerous studies show that soy consumption may be associated with a lower incidence of certain chronic diseases, notably heart disease. These findings led to the US Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the soy protein and heart disease health claim in 1999. The FDA approved health claim helps promote the daily consumption of 25 grams of soy protein for lowering blood cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart disease.
It has been nearly a decade since the health claim was awarded and numerous studies have been published since then. Solae's research team conducted a new meta-analysis to evaluate the totality of the evidence, that is, studies from before and after the original health claim to determine the net effect of soy protein on blood cholesterol reduction. Solae's research team reviewed and ranked more than 150 studies using the FDA's 2007 evidence-based guidance for scientific evaluation of health claims. Forty-six studies of the high and moderate quality studies were included in this meta-analysis.
The meta-analysis found reductions in total blood cholesterol of 9.54 mg/dL and reductions in LDL cholesterol of 7.12 mg/dL (which is about a 4 and 5 percent reduction, respectively). The meta-analyses also examined the effect in individuals who had high versus normal blood cholesterol and found that the cholesterol lowering effect of soy protein was significant in both groups.
"These findings build on the body of evidence that continues to strongly justify maintaining the currently approved health claim for the role of soy protein in lowering heart disease risk," said Priscilla Samuel, Ph.D., lead researcher of the meta-analysis and director of Nutrition at Solae. "According to the American Heart Association, at a population level for every 1 percent reduction in blood cholesterol there is a 2-3 percent reduction in the rate of coronary heart disease which is still the leading cause of death in the United States. Our research confirms that consuming soy protein is one way to reduce total cholesterol."
This study further confirms the heart health benefits of soy protein. Research continues to show that consuming 25 grams of soy protein per day results in significant and meaningful reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Soy protein can easily be a part of a healthy, low-cholesterol, low-fat diet and can be incorporated into a variety of food forms, including bars, beverages and cereal, to make eating heart healthy convenient for consumers.
Isoflavones May Improve Artery Health
A dietary supplement containing isoflavone – a chemical found in soybeans, chickpeas, legumes and clovers – can improve artery function in stroke patients according to new research published online in Europe's leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal. The study is believed to be the first randomised controlled trial to investigate the effects of isoflavone supplement on the way the brachial artery (the main artery in the arm) dilates in response to an increase in blood flow – a phenomenon known as flow-mediated dilation (FMD) – in patients with established cardiovascular disease. Professor Hung-Fat Tse, William MW Mong Professor in Cardiology and Academic Chief of the Cardiology Division in the Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China) and his team found that 12 weeks of isoflavone supplement, at a dose of 80 mg a day, significantly improved brachial FMD and, therefore, vascular endothelial dysfunction in patients who had suffered an ischaemic stroke (a stroke caused by blood clots or other obstructions). "These findings may have important implications for the use of isoflavone for secondary prevention in patients with cardiovascular disease, on top of conventional treatments," the authors wrote in their EHJ paper. More information about the study is available here.
Calendar of Events
March 2009
Soyfoods 2009
March 3, 2009 in Anaheim, California
Soyatech is organizing the Soyfoods 2009 Conference with discussions on soyfood innovations in development, production and marketing. More information
May 2009
Global Child Nutrition Forum 2009
May 3-8, 2009 in Capetown, South Africa
Conducted by the Global Child Nutrition Forum in collaboration with Joint Aid Management and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
More information
June 2009
Processing and Marketing Soybeans for Meat, Dairy and Baking Applications
June 1-5, 2009
Hosted by the International Soybean Program at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. For more information refer to: www.intsoy.nsrl.uiuc.edu
Quick Links
WISHH www.wishh.org
World Soy Foundation — www.worldsoyfoundation.org
National Soybean Research Laboratory — www.nsrl.uiuc.edu/aboutsoy
Soyfoods Association of North America — www.soyfoods.org
The Soyfoods Council — www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com
United Soybean Board — www.soyconnection.com
About WISHH Soy News
WISHH Soy News is an e-newsletter produced by the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH, www.wishh.org). WISHH Soy News provides information relevant to private voluntary organizations, food industry representatives and others engaged in sustainable nutrition efforts in developing countries. It aims to inform readers about research findings, market trends, new products, consumer attitudes, events, marketing tools, and other relevant information for businesses. To make WISHH Soy News as effective as possible, write to us and let us know what you would like to see and learn about! Please forward your questions or feedback to the WISHH Program Assistant at wishh@soy.org. Because of the importance of soy in international diets, the United Soybean Board, state soybean organizations and the American Soybean Association, support the WISHH program.
