INTRODUCTION

Soymilk (also called soya milk, soymilk, soybean milk, or soy juice) is a beverage
made from soybeans. soy milk is a lactose free, vegan alternative to milk; it is often
used by people who have an allergy or intolerance for dairy. Soy milk has lower
calcium and vitamin B content but is richer in iron compared with cow's milk. Soy
milk contains about the same proportion of protein as cow's milk: around 3.5%; also
2% fat, 2.9% carbohydrate, and 0.5% ash. The coagulated protein from soy milk can
be made into Tofu, just as dairy milk can be made into cheese. According to popular
tradition in China, soy milk was developed by Liu An for medicinal purposes. This
legend first appeared in the 12th century in Bunco Gangmu, where the development
of tofu was attributed to Liu with no mention of soy milk. Later writers in Asia and
the West additionally attributed development of soy milk to Liu An, assuming that he
could not have made tofu without making soy milk. Soy milk contains little digestible
calcium because calcium is bound to the bean's pulp

Soybeans originated in Southeast Asia and were first domesticated by Chinese farmers around
1100 BC.  By the first century AD, soybeans were grown in Japan and many other countries.

Soybean seed from China was planted by a colonist in the British colony of Georgia in 1765.
Benjamin Franklin sent some soybean seeds to a friend to plant in his garden in 1770. Soy
sauce had been popular in Europe and the British colonies in America before soybean seeds
arrived. It wasn’t until 1851 that soybean seeds were distributed to farmers in Illinois and the
corn belt states. This seed was a gift from a crew member rescued from a Japanese fishing
boat in the Pacific Ocean in 1850. In the 1870s soybeans increased in popularity with farmers
who began to plant them as forage for their livestock. The plants flourished in the hot, humid
summer weather characteristic of North Carolina. By the turn of the century, the United States
Department of Agriculture was conducting tests on soybeans and encouraging farmers to
plant them as animal feed.

In 1904, the famous American chemist, George Washington Carver (pictured left) discovered that
soybeans are a valuable source of protein and oil. He also realized the benefits of soybeans for
preserving good quality soil. Mr. Carver encouraged cotton farmers to “rotate” their crops in a three-
year plan so that peanuts, soybeans, sweet potatoes or other plants would replenish the soil with
nitrogen and minerals for two seasons, and then the third year farmers planted cotton. To the surprise
of many farmers, this produced a far better cotton crop than they had seen for many years!
In 1919 William Morse co-founded the American Soybean Association and became its first president.
At the time farmers used only 20 proven varieties of soybeans. Morse recognized that there was much
potential to be discovered in the soybean plant.  In 1929, Morse spent two years gathering soybeans
in China. He brought back more than 10,000 soybean varieties for agricultural scientists to
study. Morse understood that new, improved varieties meant better production for farmers.
Henry Ford is known for producing automobiles but did you know that he once made a car with
plastic bodywork made from soybeans? Ford owned a large research facility. He came to the lab one
day with a bag of soybeans. He dumped them out on the floor and told the scientists, “You guys are
supposed to be smart. You ought to be able to do something with them.” In time, the scientists in
Ford’s lab made a strong enough plastic for the gearshift knobs, horn buttons, window frames,
accelerator pedals, light-switch assemblies and ignition-coil casings. They also fashioned the exterior
of an automobile from “soybean plastic.” By 1935 Ford was using one bushel of soybeans for every
car he manufactured.

It wasn’t until the 1940’s that soybean farming really took off in America. Soybean production in
China, the major supplier at that time, was halted by World War II and internal revolution. When the
United States entered the war, the steep increase in demand for oils, lubricants, plastics and other
products greatly increased the demand for soybeans. United States farmers produced the needed
soybeans.

Following the Second World War, the United States experienced a period of increasing
prosperity. Demand for meat consumption increased as people’s diets improved. Livestock producers
found that soybean meal was the preferred source of protein at an affordable cost. Chickens, turkeys,
cattle and hogs were fed diets containing tens of millions of tons of soybean meal each year. This
increase in the use of soybean meal for livestock feed began in the 1950’s and soybean meal has been
the preferred choice ever since.

One of the great scientific advances in agriculture was the improvement of the soybean in the 1990s
to withstand herbicides. This meant that farmers could control weeds without killing the soybean
plant. They wouldn’t have to cultivate the fields with steel implements, which meant less soil erosion,
less fuel expended, and more yield per plant. This development resulted in new production practices
that are gaining acceptance around the world. Farmers in food deficit regions of Africa and Asia are
realizing that this technology will feed many more people on the same amount of land. The
technology has allowed U.S. farmers to become suppliers to the world at a time when global demand
for food is reaching unprecedented levels.

Thirty-one U.S. states have a soybean production industry. The top producers are the states of Iowa,
Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota. These midwestern states have deep, rich soils and relatively cool
summer nights. North Carolina in comparison produces about one-tenth of the volume of soybeans
produced in Iowa. But North Carolina produces many other crops besides soybean. A typical North
Carolina soybean farmer might also grow corn, wheat, cotton, tobacco, sweet potatoes or
peanuts. North Carolina has one of the largest pork and poultry industries in the world. As a net
importer of soybeans and soybean meal, North Carolina ranks has high as many entire countries!

ROLES

Technological advances have made it possible to have soybean protein available in

various forms: as whole seeds and flours, protein concentrates and protein isolates.
These products differ in functional properties as well as in fat and protein content;
however, amino acid patterns on a protein basis are essentially the same.
Nutritionally, these products have in common a highly digestible protein with ample
amounts of lysine and a relatively good essential amino acid pattern. Soybeans have
contributed to food systems as sources of calories, as supplementary protein, and as
complementary protein because of their good essential amino acid pattern.
 Furthermore, soybean protein products have made significant contributions to food
systems because of their functional properties, which are essential to derive benefit
from the nutritional or economic enhancement they impart to other foods. Many
examples of this are found in the literature and in practice. Whole soybeans have been
used to extend common beans, providing higher energy concentration and higher
protein content and quality. Full-fat flour or protein concentrates added in variable
amounts to cereal grain flours have introduced higher energy and higher protein
content and quality into foods based on maize, rice or wheat. Finally, the amino acid
pattern of soybean protein products has allowed them to be used as extenders for
cow’s milk and meat products, without altering the protein quality or acceptability of
the food product.
Soy milk is used in many kinds of Japanese cuisine, such as in making Yuba as well
as sometimes a base soup for anemone. In Korean cuisine, soy milk is used as a soup
for making kongguksu, cold noodle soup eaten mostly in summer. Soy milk is also
used in making soy yogurt, soy cream, soy kefir and soy based cheese analogues. As
the taste of commercial soy milk improves more and more people are drinking it as
enjoyment. But many people drink soy milk for the added health benefits

ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE

 Improve Lipid Profile The most important attribute of soy milk is its ability to improve your blood
lipid profile. Unlike dairy milk, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, soy milk fat is mostly
unsaturated with zero cholesterol. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in soy can
inhibit the transport of cholesterol into your blood stream. Studies have shown that regular intake of
soy can significantly lower you blood concentrations of triglyceride and low density lipoproteins
(LDL) and raise the level of high density lipoproteins (HDL). This combined effect makes soy milk
an ideal drink if you have high cholesterol or have a family history of coronary heart diseases. 2.
Strengthen Blood Vessel Integrity The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as the powerful
antioxidants in soy can effectively protect your blood vessels from lesions and hemorrhage. These
compounds bind to the blood vessel lining and defend your lining cells from free radical attacks and
cholesterol deposits. The binding of these nutrients also improve the fluidity and flexibility of your
blood vessels. In addition, the monounsaturated fatty acid in soy milk can inhibit your intestinal
absorption of fat, which is another great advantage for weight loss. Drinking soy milk also gives you
an extra dose of fiber, keeping your feeling fuller for longer time. 4. Prevent Postmenopausal
Syndromes During menopause, a woman’s natural production of estrogen drops to a minimum. The
sudden reduction of estrogen creates a number of health problems for postmenopausal women.
Postmenopausal women have higher risks of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The phytoestrogen in
soy is an effective estrogen replacement. Regular intake of soy is a great way to prevent and alleviate
these postmenopausal syndromes. 5. Prevent Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is another age and hormone
related disease. The phytoestrogen in soy can help accelerate calcium absorption by your body and
prevent the loss of bone mass.

The University Of Maryland Medical Centre notes that soy foods are safe for most people. The
exceptions are those who have soy allergies and recent breast cancer patients. Because soy products,
including soy milk, contain chemicals similar in structure to estrogen, a diet rich in soy might pose a
health risk if you've recently had breast cancer, which is sometimes sensitive to estrogen. As a result,
further research is needed to determine soy's safety after breast cancer. However, some types of soy
milk do have a major nutritional disadvantage because of their added sugar content. Added sugars
boost your calories without offering nutritional value, and increase your risk of cardiovascular
disease. Select unsweetened soy milk to minimize added sugar -- it contains just 1 gram of naturally
occurring sugars and no added sugar.

DETAILS RELATING ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY

There is a scientific consensus that currently available food derived from GM
crops poses no greater risk to human health than conventional food,[26][27][28]
[29][30] but that each GM food needs to be tested on a case-by-case basis before
introduction.[31][32][33] Nonetheless, members of the public are much less
likely than scientists to perceive GM foods as safe.[34][35][36][37] The legal and
regulatory status of GM foods varies by country, with some nations banning or
restricting them, and others permitting them with widely differing degrees of
regulation.[38][39][40][41]
A 2010 study found that in the United States, GM crops also provide a number
of ecological benefits.[42]
Critics have objected to GM crops on several grounds, including ecological
concerns, and economic concerns raised by the fact these organisms are subject
to intellectual property law. GM crops also are involved in controversies over
GM food with respect to whether food produced from GM crops is safe and
whether GM crops are needed to address the world's food needs. See
the genetically modified food controversies article for discussion of issues
 about GM crops and GM food. These controversies have led to litigation,
international trade disputes, and protests, and to restrictive legislation in most
countries.

ETHICS
Ethics tries to move beyond factual statements about what is, to
evaluative statements about the way we should act towards ourselves,
each other and the environment we inhabit. But things are not always
so clear-cut.

Three areas of ethics can help frame some of the concerns with GM
food and crops: virtue, moral status and consequences.

Moral
There are also concerns about the moral status of the organism itself
– does the modification of an organism’s genetic makeup represent a
wrong to the dignity or integrity to the organism?

This position depends on arguments that nature has dignity and

interests beyond those of its human inhabitants. Such arguments are
not readily accepted due to their metaphysical or theological
overtones and dependence on essentialist idea of nature.

Appeals to nature can led to what British philosopher G.E. Moore

described as the naturalistic fallacy – the idea that we can derive
moral statements from facts of nature. Examples include:

 standing desks are good because we weren’t meant to sit

genetically modified crops are wrong because they’re unnatural.