Aug 20 2010 --- Children in West Africa will soon get a nutritious taste from St. Louis-based soy ingredient company Solae. The St. Louis-based World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) worked with Solae and other organizations to get a landmark shipment of high-quality soy protein isolates sent to Liberian school children. The 80 metric tons of soy protein isolate can provide nearly 9.7 million total servings for a nutritional beverage with 8.25 grams of protein.

The Solae product will make a 5000-plus mile journey as the first shipment of soy protein isolate used in a U.S. food assistance program. The American Soybean Association’s WISHH Program worked with the International Relief and Development (IRD) organization. IRD requested the product for its U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-supported Food for Education efforts in Liberia. WISHH was also instrumental in providing the U.S. government with the nutritional data that led to them accepting multiple high-quality soy protein ingredients for U.S. food assistance programs.

“This is significant because it represents a new phase of effort for food assistance programs. This is the first USDA bid for soy protein isolate, which was awarded to Solae,” said Jim Hershey, executive director of WISHH. “USDA is supporting better nutrition for growing children, and at the same time, is helping create jobs in Liberia. Lifting low-income consumers out of poverty is an important factor in alleviating hunger and food insecurity.”

The potential appetite for soy protein is projected to increase by 75 percent by 2025 as developing country populations grow and seek more protein in their diets.

”Our soy protein will be used for a nutritionally-balanced beverage for the school children in Liberia. Childhood is a critical time for good nutrition, and this product delivers nutrients required for growing children,” said Michele Fite, vice president of global strategy and marketing -- Solae. “Shipping this soy protein to Liberia represents a very important milestone in a project that began about two years ago.”

Solae soy protein isolates are a plant-based, high quality and nutritionally complete source of protein that are used in many foods and beverages across the globe. The overall IRD project benefits 30,000 primary school children. Thanks to the isolates, it will offer protein-enriched beverages to school children in three counties in Liberia. In addition to boosting nutrition, the IRD effort works with local manufacturers to create jobs.

This is the type of effort that the President of Liberia has stressed is important to the West African country that is on the rebound from civil war. Some 70 percent of Liberia’s population of 3.4 million is employed in agriculture.

“We are very happy to see this moving forward and that we’re able to help the malnourished children in Liberia,” said Fite.