12 



BULLETIiSf 439, U. S. DEPAETME]S"T OF AGKICULTUEE. 



German millers have been experimenting to some extent with soy 

 meal in making brown bread by mixing with rye flour. As to the 

 extent to which this bread is now used, no data are available, but 

 it is known that soy meal, on account of the large proportion of 

 protein and phosphates it contains, as well as the palatable products 

 made from it, is gaining in popularity. Soy-bean flour enters largely 

 as a constituent in many of the so-called diabetic breads, biscuits, 

 and crackers manufactured as food sj)eciaities. 



As a human food, soy-bean flour has been used principally in the 

 United States as a special article of diet and is sold by a nimaber 

 of food companies manufacturing special foods. Extensive tests are 

 being conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture 

 with soy-bean flour in the making of bread. ^ The flour or meal can 

 be successfully used as a constituent for muffins, bread, and biscuits 

 in much the same way as corn meal. In these various food products 

 about one-fourth soy flour and three-fourths wheat flour have been 

 found to be the proper proportions. When a special food of low 

 starch content is desii'ed, as for diabetic persons, a larger proportion 

 of soy flour is used and some form of gluten is substituted for the 

 wheat flour. The addition of the soy flour changes the proportion 

 of protein and carbohydrates in the mixture, as will be noted from 

 the composition of flours shown in Table VI. 



Table VI. — Composition of soy-bean flour in comparison with wheat flour, corn meal, 

 rye flour, Graham flour, and whole-wheat flour ? 



Kind of flour or meal. 



Constituents (per cent). 



Water. 



Ash. 



Fat. 



Fiber. 



Protein. 



6.14 



5.24 



20.71 



1.72 



39.56 



6.10 



6.20 



4.50 



2.05 



47.30 



12.00 



.45 



1.00 



.20 



11.00 



10.00 



.90 



2.70 



.80 



8.50 



9.00 



1.10 



1.50 



.65 



12.00 



9.60 



1.80 



2.20 



1.90 



12.60 



10.90 



1.05 



2.00 



1.00 



12.00 



Carbo- 

 hydrates. 



Soy bean i . . . 

 Soy bean 2... 



Wheat 



Corn meal . . . 



Rye 



Graham 



Whole wheat 



26.63 

 33.85 

 75.35 

 77.10 

 75.85 

 71.90 

 73.05 



1 Flour made from the whole sov bean. 



2 Flour made from sov-bean cake.' 



Although soy-bean milk has been used in both the fresh and the 

 condensed form and in the manufacture of cheese in Japan and 

 China for centuries, it only recently has been considered of possible 

 importance in the United States. Soy-bean milk, owing to its food 

 value and for sanitary reasons, is said to be of the greatest importance 

 for cooking purposes and can be used by bakers, confectioners, and 

 chocolate manufacturers. In Asiatic countries the whole bean is. 



1 Attention has been given to the food value of soy beans in connection with studies carried on by the 

 Office of Home Economics. See U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Buls. 58 and 121 and Office Expt. Stas. 

 Bui. 159. 



2 Reported by the Bureau of Chemistry. 



