WISHH News

Soy Boosts Wheat Flour in Indonesian Noodles

May 1, 2002…U.S. soy is now pumping up the protein content of wheat noodles in an innovative project in Indonesia. Starting in March, five Indonesian companies began producing steam-dried wheat noodles enriched with 10 percent soy flour provided through U.S. food aid, thanks in part to the checkoff-funded World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH).

The American Soybean Association (ASA) Singapore office helped develop the formulation for the soy-and-wheat noodles at the U.S. Wheat Associates Regional Noodle Training Center in Singapore. WISHH and ASA worked with the International Relief and Development (IRD) organization that requested the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provide the 30,000 metric tons of wheat and 2,500 metric tons of defatted soy flour in the international development program that will run through December.

“At least one of the five producers of this noodle has expressed interest in commercializing the product once the IRD relief project has been completed,” said ASA Regional Director for Southeast Asia John Lindblom.

The project is also introducing soy-wheat noodles to Indonesian school children. Starting in June, the initiative will provide snack noodles containing 20 percent soy flour to 15,000 children in 120 different Indonesian schools. This effort will use 500 tons of U.S. soy flour, and it has long-term value in introducing soy to the growing consumer population of Indonesia.

The USDA reports that Indonesia is one of the leading countries where its population is transitioning from subsistence to “middle class.” Some 50 million people in Indonesia are expected to move into the middle class category between 1996 and 2006.

The effort exemplifies the goals of the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) that encourages the U.S. government to expand its use of soy foods, including value-added soy products. The WISHH Program has received support from the United Soybean Board and state soybean checkoff programs in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wisconsin and soybean producers from the Northeastern United States. WISHH cooperates with the ASA international marketing department.