Hi Guys!
Crusty wrote:
Can you PLEASE tell an old beginner what the exact difference is and what/how to use it?
Sure... happy to Crusty. Thanks for asking. Today, soy protein is used in sausage making as a
binder - not to be confused as a
filler. As comminuted meat and fat particles are covered with the fine powder (having the consistency of corn starch), soy protein prevents fats from amalgamating and its water-holding ability only increases the firmness of a meat product. The amount added should not exceed 2-1/2% as the flavor of sausage becomes altered, most people calling it "beany" tasting.
Soy protein has been around longer than most people think. In 1936 it was developed for use in fire extinguishers by the company that eventually became Kidde. The U.S. Navy called the foam product "bean soup" and used it to fight fires aboard ships throughout WWII as it was ideal for putting out gas and oil fires on aircraft carriers. In 1958, the Glidden Paint Company further tested the product and was the first to produce edible
soy protein isolate in 1959. However, it wasn`t until 1987 that the product became a leading food additive as defatted soy flour was developed by a corporation named PTI. Later, DuPont Chemical (who owned Ralston-Purina), joined with General Mills creating the first marketed food-grade
soy protein isolate. Not to be confused with soy protein concentrate or soy protein flour, the product known as
soy protein isolate contains more than
90% protein and
no other added ingredients. It is much stronger and more expensive than other soy protein powders. It binds 5 parts of water and is used in the food industry in other applications than in sausage making.
Soy protein concentrate is produced by immobilizing soy globulin proteins while allowing soluble carbohydrates to be leached from the defatted flakes along with whey and salts. With these removed,
soy protein flour remains. Now, there is a lot of technical saddle-bum science going on to further create edible soy protein concentrate. It involves the removal of specific aqueous acids in something called the isoelectric zone of minimum protein solubility
. And no kidding... it is achieved by the use of... (ta da)... alcohol!
When the science settles down, the consumer winds up with
soy protein concentrate at about
70% protein... with
other additives, including
ash and
fiber.
Shucks, there`s even 1% oil in the stuff. It binds 4 part of water and it takes one ton of defatted soybean
flour to make 1653 pounds of soy protein
concentrate. The list of the uses for soy protein concentrate in every industry you can imagine today is as long as Uwanna`s Allysandra Salami!
In 1984, three years before "defatted soy flour" was developed by PTI, Rytek Kutas (referring to non-fat dry milk) wrote on page 159 of his "revised edition" book, "If you are going to use a non-fat dry milk for a binder, your local dairy is usually the only place you can buy it today. The milk has to be a very fine powder and not the granules used for making milk at home. Better still, it should have the consistency of corn starch."
Although it does not have quite the binding power of soy protein, non-fat dry milk powder is half lactose (sugar) and is often used in making fermented type "dry-cured" sausages such as salami and pepperoni. Why? It is ideal in supplying essential sugar to the lactic acid producing bacteria
pediococcus acidilactici and
lactobacillus curvatus. Although it is 35% protein, it is also known for improving the taste of low-fat sausages.
I have heard of people buying grocery-store dry milk powder granules and pulverizing them inside a blender or food processor for use in prep-cooked-type sausages and semi-dry cured sausages. Many folks say they are not able to tell the difference. Personally, I`m not able to assess it because I am terribly allergic to lactose. However, you may choose it over soy protein. I just count myself lucky to be living in a time when modern science has developed a refined soy protein concentrate.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon