Soy Milk Market Industry Overview
Soy Milk goes about as an incredible substitute for cow milk as it contains an equivalent measure of protein and is low in calories. Interest for low-calorie products is high because of developing healthiness rate. Consequently, Soy Milk is liked by a great deal of buyers who are weight conscious or attempting to get fit. This product lowers the bad cholesterol level and is exceptionally preferred by heart patients. The product is also popular among lactose intolerant and anemic population as it is naturally lactose-free and rich in iron. Its high isoflavone content is known to prevent hormone-related cancers. It is also believed to be an excellent source of potassium which helps to maintain blood pressure levels. Since, Soy Milk is plant based it also consists small amounts of fibre and twice as much folate as animal milk. People who are especially lactose intolerant and have allergies to animal protein prefer to drink Soy Milk.
Introduction of various flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry among others by the manufacturers to mask the after taste of Soy Milk is propelling the product demand among youths as well. Makers are also actively putting resources into innovative work to present more flavors and selling the product in attractive packages via many distribution channels. Celebrity endorsements are also positively impacting the consumer preference for the product.
International Soy Milk Market
Soy Milk is manufactured and consumed in many countries around the world. The global Soy Milk market is estimated to reach US$ 15.25 Billion by the end of 2026 at a CAGR of 6.82%.[1] Additionally, Asia Pacific is believed to be the fastest growing market as many countries like China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong are the major consumers of the product. Abundant production of soybean in these countries is also driving the consumption in this region. Also, in response to the increasing demand for vegan products in the Asian countries, several strategic investments have been undertaken pushing the revenue generation in the region.
[1] https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/soy-milk-market-4453
Expansions and new product launches are the most-preferred strategies in the global soy milk market. As a part of strategic expansion, key players are adopting Omni channel distribution strategy, where they tie up with various online retailers, i.e. third parties, like Amazon. This, in turn, broadens their geographical presence and customer base. Key players are focusing on social media platform and online distribution channels for their online marketing and branding of products to attract more customers. Changing taste preferences of consumers are pushing manufacturers to introduce new flavors in the market. This is fueling the growth of flavored soy milk, thereby increasing overall consumption.
The dairy alternative/plant-based diet is mainly seen among the urban population. Hence Soy Milk will be having a larger market in the urban areas, where supermarkets or hypermarkets are the major channels of distribution. Soy Milks are mainly stored in refrigerated cases and are also available in aseptic packages. Supermarkets or hypermarkets have proper refrigeration facilities to store the products for a longer time without any change in the properties. Soy Milk is available in different flavors other than its original flavor and various fortifications, supermarkets/hypermarkets provide them enough shelf space to exhibit the products. Since the supermarket’s purchase in bulk they have increased bargaining power over the price and it can be converted as discounts to attract the customers.
International Soy Milk Brands
Large scale multinational companies such as The Hershey Company, Vitasoy, Silk and Lactasoy have a high presence in multiple countries around the world. Some of the brands and their descriptions are highlighted below:
Lactasoy
Lactasoy is from Thailand, which is Ultra-Heat Treated and comes in tetra boxes. It has been selling in the country for more than 35 years and is likely the brand on top of the mind in the country. The company made a total sale of ~US$ 50 Million in 2018 and is likely to continue with its rapid expansion of flavor profiles.[2] The soy is mild which is likely due to the presence of whole milk powder in the ingredients. It has been exporting to more than 45 countries worldwide. It offers a wide range of flavors and comes in Tetrapak boxes ranging from 125 ml to 1 liter.
[2] https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1481333/winning-no-1-brand%E2%80%A6-new-lactasoy-no-sugar-corners-the-market
Silk
Silk is an American brand serving various flavors of Soy Milk Ultra-Heat Treated across the world for more than 25 years owned by Danone Company. It has presence in over 20 countries with a total sales of around US$ 242 Million in 2015.[3] The company has successfully been able to meet the needs of the consumers by offering over 40 flavors packed in Tetrapak boxes with pack sizes ranging from 1.89 to 2.84 liters. The brand has placed itself well to become a substitute of Dairy produced Milk by also producing Almond Milk and having package sizes of large boxes.
[3] https://www.statista.com/statistics/633291/sales-of-whitewave-silk-soy-milk-us/
Sofit
Sofit Soy Milk is a lactose free Ultra-Heat Treated Soy Milk manufactured and found in India, owned by Godrej Hersey Company from 2012. It contains six different flavors- original, chocolate, vanilla, kesar pista, mango and coffee mocha. It has positioned itself well in the Indian market by focusing on fitness enthusiasts and using celebrity endorsement to target the consumers. The brand also sells itself as ‘Soya Milk’ and not ‘Soy Milk’ as the former is commonly used in India and across South Asia. It is only available in two pack sizes- 200 ml and 1 liter Tetrapak boxes. The brand has been able to grow by 20% CAGR over the past decade in India and remains to shine with additional investments and expansion of product offerings.[4]
[4] https://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Article/2018/11/21/A-global-first-Hershey-s-bets-on-high-protein-offering-to-elbow-into-India-s-2.8bn-biscuit-market
Vitasoy
Vitasoy is a Ultra-Heat Treated brand manufactured in Hong Kong which comes in plastic packaging and Tetrapak boxes across the world. The company was founded in 1940 and offers a wide range of products- fruit juice, soy milk, water and tofu, with most famous product being Soy Milk. Vitasoy has operations in Australia, China and Hong Kong and is sold across 40 different countries around the world. The company made a total sales of around US$ 560 Million in 2018 and supplies to Starbucks. The company was initially started by its founder to be served as an added nutritional drink for hard working laborers. The company offers a wide range of flavors depending on their country of presence in plastic bottle, glass bottle and Tetrapak boxes ranging from 250 ml to 1 liter.
Soy Milk Production
The soybean is considered as a low acid food and as such, is a good host for the breeding of harmful bacteria. Thus, the manufacturing process is “aseptic,” i.e. that at a certain point in its production, the soy milk is sealed off from any air because it might introduce dangerous bacteria into the product.
However, the sealing of the soy milk happens only in the later stages and is avoided in the initial phase. The development of successful, affordable aseptic production of soy milk has been of tremendous importance in the mass production of this beverage.
The production process of soymilk generally involves twelve stages; which involves procuring raw materials to final packaging. The stages involve harvesting of good quality soybeans are to cleaning, hulling, and cooking. This is followed by cooking and grinding the soybeans by a number of grinders that transform the beans into a milky slurry. The slurry is placed in a centrifuge that extracts any insoluble bits of bean. The separated soy liquid called Jun is blended with vitamins, flavorings, and sugar and then sterilized and homogenized. The hot milk is finally cooled and packaged in such a way that it is never exposed to air. Based on multiple consultations with potential and ideal suppliers of machinery, the details of the production process has been derived as follows:
1. Raw Materials
Soy milk is nearly always fortified with calcium, vitamins D, and certain B vitamins. The primary raw material for Soy milk requires only soybeans and water (and steam) for its creation.
However, apart from these two basic raw materials, highly concentrated flavorings, such as vanilla and chocolate are often added to the finished product. Many companies also add sugar and salt to the drink to make it more palatable to the consumer.
Generally, soy milk producers seek large soybeans called clear hylem. Once the soybeans are harvested and brought to the plant, the beans are cleaned in a grain elevator or bin on or off premises.
The initial process usually begins with the blending together of four to six tons of soybeans at one time. Some factories have two or more production lines running at one time, and thus use several tons of soybeans in a day to double the speed of the production process.
2. De-hulling
De-hulling is the second step in the production process. In this stage, the soybeans are steamed and split in half. This loosens the hull on the bean and a vacuum is used to sucks off the hulls.
3. Invalidating the Indigestible Enzyme
The third stage involves cooking of soybeans in order to invalidate, or counteract, a specific enzyme which makes them indigestible to humans. This cooking is done using the Enzyme Invalidator, in which the de-hulled soybeans are cooked using high pressure, Water, and high temperature (creating very hot live steam) is used in order to invalidate that enzyme.
4. Rough Grinding
The whole grinding process in the production process is done in two stages. In this stage, the cooked soybeans then fall into the first rough grinder or mill. Along with the cooked soybeans, water is added to the machine. Here, the bean pieces are roughly ground in this first milling.
5. Finer Grinding
Although they have been grounded roughly once, the cooked soybeans will still be coarse. Thus, the fine grinder is used further to pulverize the bean pellets into small particles. Once it is grinded finely, the hot slurry is white in color with minuscule particles of insoluble soybean particles.
6. Extracting
Once the grinding process is over, a large centrifuge is then used to extract the tiny bits of soybean that are insoluble and cannot be included in the finished product. These particles are separated from the soy milk slurry using a centrifuge. Next, a rubber roller is used to press the soy milk slurry against the surface of a drum within the centrifuge, forcing the liquid inside the drum while the fibers remain on the outside of the drum. The drum is then scraped of these fibers. The separated milk is known a Jun.
At this stage, the soybean fibers are physically removed from the production process. This waste soy fiber is called okara and it resembles mashed potatoes. A separate process is carried out to dry the okara for use other than human consumption.
7. Blending
Once the Jun is extracted from the soybeans, it is injected into large tanks. In this stage all the flavorings like sugar, and vitamins are mixed separately in smaller tanks. Once mixed, the ingredients of the smaller tank are infused into the larger tanks, thus blending the flavors with the raw milk.
8. Aseptic Sterilizing
At this point, it is very important to seal the jun within the equipment until the end of the manufacturing process (including packaging) in order to keep out air and ambient bacteria and germs that can grow in low-acid soy milk. Sterilization occurs with pressure and very hot temperatures within a vacuum for a short period of time.
9. Homogenizing
Once the sterilizing is complete, the hot milk is then sent to the homogenizer. This process involves braking down the fat particles and prevents them from separating from the rest of the mixture. This stage basically involves using high pressure piston pump known as homogenizer to blend as it is drawn into the pump cylinder and then forced back out in a repetitive motion.
10. Cooling
Next, the hot milk is piped to the cooling tank. Here, the hot milk passes next to cold plates that lower the temperature of the soy milk to room temperature.
11. Storing
One the milk is cooled, it is sent to the aseptic (sealed) tanks and is held for packaging preparation. This stage involves refrigerating, pressurizing, and proper sealing to ensure no bacteria thrives in the milk.
12. Packaging
A very important part of the production is the aseptic packaging of the product. Packaging machines have been developed for this product that are able to mechanically package the product without exposing it to air.
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