SupplySide Global Experience China: Soy Protein Isolate

by Jon Benninger, Vice President, VIRGOs Health & Nutrition Network

It's 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and I'm riding in a van with our VP of content Heather Granato, our producer/videographer Scott Donaldson, and Rochem COO Matt Thiel somewhere between Yucheng and Qingdao. A second van is behind us carrying Rochem Vice General Manager Steven Gao with Pierce Teo and the additional camera team we hired for the trip. We have another two hours on the road, so it seems like a good time to recap a great day.

We started our drive from Jinan to Yucheng early this morning to ensure we had time to complete our agenda. We also decided to split into two film teams, with me and Scott handling the day long tour of the large Yuwang Bio facility, and Heather and Pierce driving to two additional sites to shoot. It's a good thing we did, because we never would have covered all the ground as one team. As Heather's team drove off to tour a nearby agricultural research area developing and improving non-GMO strains of soy, Scott and I were greeted by the Yuwang executive team. Upon conclusion of the formal introductions, the work began.

First were interviews with Yuwang Chairman of the Board Dr. Liu Xiqian, Vice President and Chief Engineer Mr. Niu Xiangchen and Executive President Ms. Fan Shuqin. We learned how the company became the top producer and supplier of soy protein isolate with capacity of 70,000 metric tons that will increase to 100,000 metric tons next August with the completion of its newest production facility. All of this is from 100% non-GMO soy beans grown exclusively on the company's farms in China.

We discuss the investment and the ongoing research from the fields to the pilot labs to the production facilities to the application kitchens. It's an impressive story that I can't wait to share with our audience. With the interviews complete, we begin what will be a fast-paced tour of the large Yuwang campus.

We started in the R&D center where we saw the pilot scale labs, and the application labs and kitchens where the soy protein isolate is studied. In the test kitchen for noodles and bakery applications, I got some hands on experience rolling out, cutting and cooking traditional noodles with the soy protein isolate as an added ingredient. The addition of the soy protein isolate impacts all aspects of the noodle-making, and it is in this lab that the Yuwang team figures out how to create the perfect noodle. While not perfect, the noodles that I made tasted really good. The work conducted here will result in applications and formulations that Yuwang customers will bring to market.

The R&D center also has entire labs dedicated to beverages, tofu, flavor, functionality, and study of the unique protein makeup of specific varieties of soy bean developed at the agricultural research facility that Heather's team has just returned from filming. We all get to tour the new exhibition center, which traces the history of soy and its commercial expansion around the world, the science and understanding of this incredible plant, the history and achievements of Yuwang, and the innovations and applications that consumers worldwide are buying and enjoying today. We also get to taste a variety products made with Yuwang's soy protein isolate, including ice cream, yogurt and tofu. It's a good prelude to the excellent lunch we are about to share.

Our meal consists of no less than 20 dishes showcasing local cuisine. The river fish, black chicken soup, and an incredible variety of vegetables provided flavors that I'd not encountered before. And the beef with hot peppers served with what I will call "tortillas" reminded me of home in Phoenix.

Lunch went a bit long, putting us behind schedule, so the afternoon tour of the production, packaging and QA/QC facilities began at a fast pace and only got faster. I have to acknowledge Scott and Alan for their ability to move fast, shoot fast, and get it right the first time so we could finish the job on time. This included frequent changes into a variety of gowns and gear, climbing up and down stairs with a good deal of their video equipment, and capturing impromptu interviews and action shots along the way.

Somehow we managed to get back on schedule and meet up with Heather's team for the formal "thank you's" and "goodbye's" with the Yuwang team before jumping into our vans for the five hour drive to Qindao and tomorrow's shoot.

None of the day's work would have been possible without the incredible organization and planning by Yuwang's International Trade Development Manager Gloria Xiao, and the underwriting of our entire project by Rochem International. The end result will be our SupplySide Global Experience documentary that will debut at a special screening event at SupplySide West in Las Vegas, Nov. 12-16.

As I finish today's entry, Rochem COO Matt Thiel tells me that we are now on the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge which is the longest bridge in the world at 42 km. I'll use this time to reflect on the bridge that we are hoping to help build with his project, and will report back in tomorrow night.

Check out the pictures from Day 2.