Introduction

Soybean(Glycine max L.) is a leguminous plant. Majority of non vegetarian people do not
consume animal products on a daily basis in quantities sufficient to provide the recommended
amount of protein. Soybeans are a rich source of good quality protein. Besides nutritional
benefits soybeans provide several therapeutic benefits too. Soybean is one of the very few plants
that provide high quality protein. Soybeans contain all the major macronutrients required for
good nutrition, as well as fiber, vitamins, minerals. Soybean protein provides all the essential
amino acids in the amounts needed for human health. Soybean meal is the supplemental protein
source most widely used in animal feeds. Soybean meal is an excellent source of protein,
because nearly 480 g/kg of the Dry Matter (DM) is protein and the protein quality is high [1].
Soybeans have almost 40% protein, making soybeans higher in protein than any other legumes
and many animal products. The quality of soy protein is virtually equivalent in quality to that of
milk and egg protein. The composition of soybean seed not only affects the soymilk and soy
paneer quality but also its yield [2]. Unlike many other good sources of protein, soybean not only
has higher percentage of oil but also quality fatty acid profile. It has low saturated fat content
with high amount of essential fatty acids. Soybean oil obtained from the soybean is also a good
source of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids similar to those found in fish oils and are cholesterol-free.
Soybeans are an excellent source of dietary fiber with both soluble and insoluble fiber.

For centuries, soyabeans and soyabean products have been used as the chief source of protein
and as a medicine for millions of people .Soyabeans are nutrient-dense, fiber-rich, and are high-
quality sources of protein. The intake of beans has the potential to decrease serum cholesterol
concentrations, improve many aspects of the diabetic state, and provide metabolic benefits that
aid in weight control. Soyabeans are a unique source of the isoflavones genistein and diadzein,
which have numerous biological functions. Soyabeans and soya foods potentially have
multifaceted health-promoting effects, including cholesterol reduction, improved vascular health,
preserved bone mineral density and reduction of menopausal symptoms. Soya appears to have
salutary effects on renal function. Soya beans is used in various food products such as in tofu,
fruit flavored puddings, calcium and protein rich soya milk. Soya milk is very economical,
lactose free, highly digestible and nutritious alternative of dairy and meat centered diet. It is
cholesterol free product, has a very low fat content and is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids of
phospholipids.

Soybean can play a vital role in balancing the protein deficiency of our diet. Protein content
of soybean is about 2 times of other pulses, 4 times of wheat, 6 times of rice grain, 4 times of
egg; 12 times of milk. Soybean has 3% lecithin, which is helpful for brain development. It is
also rich in Ca, Protein and Vitamins A, B, C and D. In countries or regions where animal
protein are not available or where the price of meat are beyond the purchasing power of
average population, soybean and soybean products may be used as their substitutes.
Unfortunately no published/unpublished information is available on the preparation of
soymilk under Bangladesh condition. This indicates that systematic research work in this line
is urgently needed to develop technique for making soymilk. For this reason the present
research work was conducted to prepare soymilk using different methods and to recommend a
suitable method for soymilk preparation and to evaluate the physical and chemical qualities of
soymilk. Soy foods are nutritious, economical and provide many health benefits. Properly
processed soy meal/ soybean has biological value and protein quality comparable to that of
animal milk. While the soybean is coming up for food uses in the country, the total consumption
is very small estimated at about 4-8% of the meal produced and it is mostly by way of
incorporating food grade solvent extracted soy meal. In mid sixties, the soybean was introduced
in India primarily to alleviate the protein-calorie gap in the nutrition of the people of country.

Soy protein qualitatively closely approaches animal protein. Thus, properly processed soy
protein is equivalent to fish protein and superior to that from Bengal gram for being used as a
sole source of protein in diet, protein content of soybean is much higher than that of other
common pulses. Considering enormous advantages of soybean consumption it is high time to
promote the use of soybean as a food component. One of the form in which it can be utilized is a
soymilk and milk product such as tofu / soypaneer in daily dietary system.

. Soybean has been recognized as one of the premier agricultural crops today for various
reasons in the world [2]. Now-a-day different types of human foods are prepared from
soybean such as soymilk, tofu, Ice cream, beverage etc [3]. Oil and protein rich soybean has
now recognized all over the world as a potential supplementary source of edible oil and
nutrition [4]. Soymilk is a rich creamy milk of whole soybeans. The nutrients content in eight
ounces of plain soymilk are 140gm calories, 10gm protein, 4gm fat, 14gm carbohydrate, 120g
sodium, 1.8mg iron, 0.1mg riboflavin and 80mg calcium [5]. Soymilk is free of milk sugar
lactose and for this reason there is no chance of occurring lactose intolerance syndrome. Also,
it is good alternative for those who are allergic to cow's milk. It naturally has about the same
amount of protein (but not the same proteins) as cow milk. Generally soymilk contains around
7-8% total solids in it. Adding 3-4% sugar and about 0.05% salt brings it to a sugar, salt and total
solid level approximately identical to toned (2% fat) cow’s milk, i.e. about 12-13% total solids.
This can be consumed as such or after sweetening and diluting, Alternatively, it can be made into
yogurt (curd) or tofu (paneer).

Soymilk is a creamy, milk-like product made by soaking and grinding soybeans in water.
However the water absorption of soybeans in soaking is directly related to the changes in textural
characteristics and grinding properties of soybeans for processing [3]. Soybean or soymilk has
always been a rich source of protein which is inexpensive [4] and abundantly available. Soymilk
is used in various food products such as tofu, fruit flavored puddings, calcium and protein rich
soymilk. Soy milk (also called soymilk, soybean milk) and sometimes referred to as soy
drink/beverage is a beverage made from soybeans. A stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein, it
is produced by soaking dry soybeans and grinding them with water. 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 besides being rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. Soy milk is an intermediate
product in the manufacture of soy paneer. It is often used in confections, meat fillers, beverages,
and as part of infant formulas for children allergic to dairy milk [5]. Soymilk is very economical,
lactose free, highly digestible and nutritious alternative of dairy and meat centered diet. It is
cholesterol free product, has a very low fat content and is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids of
phospholipids. Generally soymilk contains around 7-8% TSS in it. Adding 3-4% sugar and about
0.05% salt brings it to a sugar, salt and total solid level approximately identical to toned (2% fat)
cow’s milk, i.e. about 12-13% TSS. It can be made into yogurt (curd) or tofu (paneer) or used
directly in cooking. In addition to that blends of the soymilk with cow/buffalo milk have been
successfully tried for the preparation of different varieties of soy paneer. Soymilk contains some
anti-nutritional constituents also. Soymilk is good source of calcium and helps to avoid
osteoporosis. Soluble fiber in soymilk controls blood sugar. It is good for pregnant women and
lactating mothers. Soymilk reduces menopausal symptoms and bone deformities. Soya foods
contain calcium, magnesium and phosphorus, which help to strengthen teeth and prevent nerve
disorder. Soybean consumption on regular basis delays the ageing process.

Soymilk is the only alternative for the children and adults having lactose intolerance or allergy to
bovine milk (Carrol, 1991). Besides being a healthy nutrition for the general mass, soy protein in
a proven cholesterol-lowering agent. This protein is kidney friendly and causes calcium to be
better utilized to avoid the conditions of osteoporosis. Recent studies have shown that some of
the nutrients of soymilk are potential cancer fighters (Lidner, 1988). A good protein is relatively
free from fat so that the protein intake does not ruin one’s overall health. Protein should be
inexpensive, appetizing, and available in natural form, bulk or fiber, and should contain as many
other nutrients as possible. Soybean absolutely fits in this category. Soy is one of the few plant
foods that contain the proper balance of eight essential amino acids (Ali, 1985). Particularly soy
is abundant in lysine, an amino acid that is usually scarce in plant food.

Soy paneer is known for its extraordinary nutritional benefits, as well as its versatility. Soy
paneer is a soft cheese-like food made by curdling soya milk with a coagulant. To improve the
texture and increase the yield of tofu, researchers has been engaged to find better coagulation
methods, concentration of coagulants and optimum temperature of coagulation. Researchers
studied the effect of two different coagulants calcium sulphate and modified nigari (Japanese
name for magnesium chloride), three stirring speeds (137, 207 and 285 rpm), and six stirring
times (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 sec) on yield and textural properties of soft tofu. They found that
tofu made by the highest stirring speed (285 rpm) had a lower yield, but higher brittleness force,
hardness and elasticity than tofu made at 207 rpm. Other factors that affected yield of tofu were
whole soybean (higher yield) versus soybean flakes ,heating method where steam injected
cooker system had higher yield as compared to steam jacketed kettle system .Soy is easily
digestible from of protein, and is the only complete protein food source in the plant Kingdom.
Other health benefits of soy include calcium, iron, B vitamins and naturally occurring phyto-
estrogens. The effect of soybean storage affects the textural properties of the soy paneer
developed from it .Soy paneer is usually packaged in water and should be refrigerated and kept
in water until used. Soy paneer can be frozen for up to three months. It is dense and can be cubed
and stir-fried, grilled, scrambled, pickled, smoked, baked, barbecued or served in soups.
Different yogurt-like products were prepared from the combination of skim milk and soymilk
.The present study was selected to develop Soy paneer from soymilk and blend of soymilk and
skimmed milk and to evaluate the sensory and physico-chemical properties of the product.

Tofu is a jellied protein product, with homogeneous composition, cream-colored with mild flavor, which
is produced by the coagulation of heated soymilk. Tofu prepared by coagulation of soymilk by CaSO4 or
MgCl2 contains about 8% of total proteins, 4-5% lipids and about 2% of carbohydrates on fresh weight
basis. Tofu has a special nutritional value due to the presence of dietary fibers (about 1%) and the
absence of cholesterol, as well as a very low energetic value. The high content of vitamins and minerals
also contributes to the physiological value of the tofu. Analyzing tofu, Wang and Murphy (1) found that
it content of total isoflavones is 0.532 mg/g of tofu. It was noticed that the flavor of „green bean“, so-
called „legume smell and taste“ of soybean products prepared in the traditional way does not suit the
consumers from our population. These sensory properties, regarding its taste and smell, are a
consequence of lipid oxidation - catalyzed by lipoxygenase, during steeping and crushing of the
soybeans. Recently, a production process has been developed with the aim to reduce the duration of
crushing the soybeans, as well as boiling the crushed grain under pressure, at high temperatures in the
shorter period, the so-called hydrothermal cooking (HTC) that decreases the activity of lipoxygenase.

Tofu also known as soy curd is generally obtained by coagulating soymilk. Coagulants such as citric acid
(Murugkar 2015) and CaCl2 or CaSO4 (Oboh 2006)Calcium sulphate (CS), Nigari (MgCl2 ) and glucono-d-
lactone (GDL) are majorly used in Japan for the preparation of tofu (Kohyama et al 1995) During
production of the tofu, coagulant forms a soy protein gel matrix which helps in entrapping water, lipids
and constituents present in the matrix to form curd, further pressurized to form solids (Cai et al 1997;
Oboh 2006). According to Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO, 2011), soybean curd (tofu) should
be manufactured from in 950 A.D.