FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA, U.S. — The benefits of soy protein are being highlighted at the NCI Baking with Soy course attended by 12 bakers and food scientists, ingredient suppliers and supply chain managers from Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda.  The class runs from Aug. 5-9 at Northern Crops Institute (NCI) in Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.

The World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH), is co-sponsoring the course.  WISHH is a program of the American Soybean Association that brings the nutritional benefits of U.S. soy protein to people in developing countries. 

“We are happy to work again with WISHH in promoting the use of soy flour in bread and other baked products. By incorporating soy flour into their daily diets, we hope that undernourished people can improve their nutritional status through increased protein and other benefits,” NCI Director Mark Weber said. “NCI staff will teach a second Baking with Soy course in October for another group from Africa.”

Clyde Stauffer, Technical Foods Consultants, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S., is the lead instructor for the course. His lectures focus on helping the team develop a better understanding of the various functional properties of adding soy to baked products. Stauffer also leads sessions on calculating calories, using cost spreadsheets, and the various kinds of wheat and their flour characteristics.  

The hands-on baking laboratories are led by Thunyaporn Jeradechachai, NCI Crop Quality Specialist; Rachel Carlson and Natsuki Fujiwara, both NCI Food Technologists. During the course’s baking sessions, the team will make and evaluate soy-enhanced mandazi (fried pastry), croissants, brioche bread, hamburger buns, multigrain bread, and 100% whole wheat bread.