All About Tofu
Overview
Tofu's main ingredient is the soybean. HOUSE FOODS uses only non-genetically engineered, soybeans grown in the United States. Because of its main components of soy protein and anti-oxidants known as isoflavones, soy, and ultimately Tofu, is a great source of healthy energy. Both of these high-quality, nutrient-dense compounds add greatly to a nutritious diet.
These attributes, along with the ability to combine Tofu with many partners (including vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat, sauces, and spices), allow the resulting "super food" to be economical, appetizing, and one of the most important elements in today's new trend of super nutrition. Not only is versatile Tofu celebrated in the vegetarian world, but it is now rapidly becoming a staple to the rest of the population.
Benefits Of Tofu
Because of its soybean constituency, Tofu is a SUPER FOOD! As such, our Tofu products contain a high concentration of essential nutrients that can attribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Tofu's most important nutrient is soy protein. Soy protein is the only plant-based protein that has all of the eight essential amino acids, thus making it a "Complete Protein." HOUSE FOODS Premium Tofu and HOUSE FOODS Organic Tofu are high in protein and low in calories, sodium, and carbohydrates, while containing no cholesterol and trans fat. Also, these products are gluten- and lactose-free.
Adding to Tofu's list of important nutrients are calcium, iron, minerals, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and isoflavone, a type of phytoestrogen derived from plants. In addition, most of HOUSE FOODS' products are Kosher certified.
Below are five of the many health benefits of soy:
Heart Health
The FDA states that consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce your risk of heart disease.
Animal proteins are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Replace these unhealthy proteins with healthy soy protein. Because soy protein has a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acid, fiber, minerals, and low saturated fat content, this replacement may reduce the risk of heart disease.
For more information on heart health, click here to read the FDA's soy health claim:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/LabelClaims/HealthClaimsMeetingSignificantScientificAgreementSSA/ucm074740.htm
Women's Health
Soy has been shown to give women who are going through menopause a much needed break! According to several studies, isoflavone in soy can reduce the frequency of hot flashes and their severity. Also, the high amounts of iron found in soy protein are especially important for women of child-bearing age.
To read "Soy for Health" by the United Soy Boards, click here:
http://www.soyconnection.com/health_nutrition/heart_health/7001_USB_HlthBroch_v2r3.pdf
Bone Health
Soy can help prevent osteoporosis by building healthy bones, and may also increase the density and quality of bones in menopausal women. In addition to calcium, soy also contains magnesium, which is especially important for athletes.
To read "Soy for Health" by the United Soy Boards, click here:
http://www.soyconnection.com/health_nutrition/heart_health/7001_USB_HlthBroch_v2r3.pdf
Healthy Weight
When incorporated into a lifestyle that has a well-balanced diet and routine exercise, soy has the ability to help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Soy foods, such as Tofu, can replace foods in your diet that are high in calories and saturated fat, which can contribute to weight gain. To reduce your daily caloric intake, try tips found on our "Cooking Tips" page on how to use Tofu as a substitute for fatty, unhealthy foods!
Another benefit of Tofu in a weight-loss plan is the feeling of fullness it provides. This satiety prevents over-eating. Turn to foods with soy when you need a quick snack.
Click here to check out the Soyfoods Association of North America's article, "Eat Soy, Gain Health, Lose Weight.":
http://www.soyfoods.org/health/soy-for-a-healthy-weight/science-shows-soy-helps-with-weight-management/
Diabetes
Diabetes is all too common these days and soy foods can play an important role in keeping it under control. Soy protein, with the potential of decreasing harmful effects of kidney disease, which can occasionally result from diabetes, can help manage diabetes. Normalizing blood sugar levels is another feature of soy foods, since they have a low glycemic index.
For more information, check out "Diabetes Care" published by the American Diabetes Association:
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/31/4/648
The History
Tofu is the perfect example of the "old being new" again - and now, better than ever.
Tofu production is an ancient technique. Tofu was first made in China over 2000 years ago by individual families. Only within the past century has Tofu been made in modern factories. At HOUSE FOODS, we are proud that our state-of-the-art factories on both the East and West Coasts are able to manufacture Tofu in a combination of traditional and modern methods. Not only are all our Tofu products refrigerated to maintain our superior freshness, we use a special type of pasteurization in order for the Tofu to maintain this quality of freshness and purity.
For More Soy Information
Please check the following websites:
www.soyfoods.org
www.soyconnection.com
Production Process
1. Soybeans Selection
Tofu is made from soymilk, an extractive of soybean. The soybeans used in our Tofu products are not genetically engineered or genetically modified organism ("non-GMO"), which is a rarity these days.
Products made from soybeans are rich in nutrients such as:
- Complete protein (containing all essential amino acids)
- Minerals (calcium, iron, manganese, and selenium)
- Unsaturated fatty acid, compared to animal protein
2. Soaking
The soybeans are soaked in a tank filled with clean, purified water for about 10 to 13 hours. This makes the extraction of protein from the beans easier.
3. Grinding
After a prescribed amount of water is added to the soybeans, they are ground to slurry (a thin mixture of an insoluble substance) in order to make the extraction of protein easy. The mashed soybeans are then ready to proceed to the next step.
To make protein extraction even easier, the ground soybeans are heated. This heating process eliminates soybean odor while pasteurizing the slurry and allowing for a better coagulation of proteins.
4. Filtration
The heated slurry is filtered through a fine screen to remove solid matters, such as soy pulp, which consists mainly of fiber (bean-curd refuse called Okara). This step allows the tofu to become smooth in texture.
5. Coagulation
The coagulation (or process of turning a fluid into a thickened mass) of the soybean milk into curd form is done by quickly mixing in calcium salt and other coagulants. This mixing allows the ions, such as calcium, to work to combine soybean protein with one another, resulting in the coagulation of soymilk into curd form.
6. Forming And Cutting
This curd-like Tofu is broken up and poured into a cloth-lined box. It is then pressed in order to eliminate excess water. This process finally results in Firm Tofu. Soft/Silken Tofu is made by coagulating slightly thicker soymilk without pressing to remove water.
When pressing Tofu, the pressure should be gradually increased in order to make the quality of the Tofu consistent. After pressing is finished, a large sheet of Tofu is automatically cut up into merchandise-size and packaged in containers.
7. Packaging And Labeling
Tofu is cut into small blocks and packaged in a container filled with clean water. The package is then sealed thermally with film imprinted with the product name, size, nutritional information, etc. Each product is also printed with an expiration date.
8. Pasteurizing
The packaged Tofu is pasteurized in a boil-cool pasteurizing machine. This continuously heats the Tofu, followed by immediately cooling it. By doing this, the product's fresh flavor is preserved for a long period of time.