Steven Luff

A manufactured beverage’s taste is its raison d’etre-its purpose for being. In the words of Scott Backman, market development manager, functional food and food technology for global ingredient supplier Cognis Nutrition & Health (La Grange, IL), “Taste is the most important factor in a beverage. The consumer has an expectation when consuming a beverage. If that expectation is not met, the beverage will fail.”

Let’s focus on milk and soy. To say which of these two protein sources is more significant would be to detract from their uniqueness. Milk, after all, is animal based, and soy is vegetable. Milk protein accelerates physical recovery from numerous ailments, and soy protein mitigates heart disease.

Soy makes a great deal of sense. It’s cost-effective, environmentally sustainable, highly versatile, and good for you. No wonder food ingredient manufacturers work long hours formulating new and novel soy-based food ingredients.