The Company

Instifoods trades under INSTITECH Holdings a wholly owned company of the Harare institute of Technology, Ganges Rd, Belvedere, Harare. Established in 2005 the company produces various Soy Milk based products including Soy Yoghurt, Soy drinks, Soy Sour milk, Soy Milk Shakes, Tofu, Soy based Mayonnaise, Soy Tofu (Cheese) and Okara blended confectioneries.

Instifoods also produces a wide range of fruit pulp based cordials and mineral still water. The company boasts to be the first Zimbabwean enterprise to produce Soy Milk based Yoghurt and a first in a range of wholesome, nutritious Soy milk based food products.Instifoods Soy Milk based products are cholesterol free, lactose free, animal protein free and most of all are rich in proteins, minerals, vitamins and calcium. Research has proven that the products help in the prevention of heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer and menopausal symptoms.

Soya Beans

Soybeans belong to the legume family and are native to East Asia. They have been an important protein source in the Orient for over five thousand years. Soybeans have only been introduced to the Western world since the 20th century. Soybeans grow on a variety of soils and a wide range of climates, ranging form tropical Brazil to the snowy island Hokkaido in the north of Japan. As soybeans mature in the pod, they ripen into hard, dry beans. Although most soybeans are yellow, there are also rare varieties which are black, brown or green coloured.A given area of land planted with soy beans can produce much more protein than land planted other crops, or if the land were used to raise cattle.

Soy Milk

Soy milk (also called soya milk, soymilk, soybean milk, or soy juice) 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.

Preparation:

Soy milk can be made from whole soybeans or full-fat soy flour. The dry beans are soaked in water overnight or for a minimum of 3 hours or more depending on the temperature of the water. The rehydrated beans then undergo wet grinding with enough added water to give the desired solids content to the final product. The ratio of water to beans on a weight basis should be about 10:1. The resulting slurry or purée is brought to a boil in order to improve its nutritional value by heat inactivating soybean trypsin inhibitor improve its flavor and to sterilize the product. Heating at or near the boiling point is continued for a period of time, 15–20 minutes, followed by the removal of an insoluble residue (soy pulp fiber or okara) by filtration.

Soy Yoghurt…….a first

Using only whole, organic soybeans we create an all-natural soy base that is the first ingredient in each cup of Instifoods Soy yogurt. We add live cultures and all natural ingredients to create a delicious yogurt with all the health benefits of soy protein and probiotics, but with no dairy, cholesterol or chemical additives. Instifoods Soy yogurt is so rich and creamy most people are surprised to find out its dairy free! Though we all have our favourites, we suggest you try all four flavours and decide for yourself.

(Soya yoghurt in British English) also referred to as Yogurt or Yofu (a portmanteau of yoghurt and tofu), is yogurt prepared using soy milk, yogurt bacteria (Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus) Soy yogurt is made by fermenting soymilk with friendly bacteria, mainly Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. The process is similar to the production of yogurt from cow milk. Yogurt production was invented probably by accident by Balkan tribes thousands of years ago. Yogurt remained mainly a food of Eastern Europe until the 1900s, when the biologist Mechnikov theorized that lactobacillus bacteria in yogurt are responsible for the unusually long lifespan of the Bulgar people. Mechnikov then popularized yogurt as a foodstuff throughout Europe. The sugars are fermented by the bacteria into lactic acid, which causes the formation of the characteristic curd. The acid lowers to pH of the yogurt to about 4.0 and restricts the growth of food poisoning bacteria. The bacteria produce lactase which breaks down the lactose in dairy milk. Soy milk does not contain lactose but other sugars such as stachyose and raffinose. Researchers in the department of Food Processing Technology embarked on food product development work which culminated in the development of a novel brand of Soy Milk based yoghurt. The researchers were able to develop an appropriate culture based on Lactis bulguricus species able to thrive in an environment that is not detrimental to the propagation of Bifido species. Soy Milk was produced using the Soyushka Soy making machine and cultured and incubated at 40-42degrees Celsius in the Instifoods hangar at HIT.

Uniqueness of Soy Yoghurt……

Soy yoghurt is free of animal protein, is cholesterol and lactose free. Soy yogurt contains less fat than yogurt made with whole cows milk. This amounts to about 2.7% (the same percentage as soy milk), versus 3.5% in dairy cows milk yogurt.

Some countries only allow using the name “yogurt” for products which have not been pasteurized to kill the bacteria after fermentation. This “live” yogurt is believed to be nutritionally superior. The living bacteria are supposed to improve our immune system and the enzymes help to digest food. Sometimes, special probiotic bacteria, which are supposed to improve our gut health, are added to dairy or soy yogurt. These probiotic bacteria, often called good bacteria, are special strains of lactic acid bacteria or Bifidobacterium. A probiotic yogurt contains additional ingredients, such as inuline, that promote the growth of the probiotic bacteria. Soy yogurt always contains natural probiotics: the two soy sugars, stachyose and raffinose, act as probiotics and stimulate the growth of Bifidobacterium in the large intestine. Foods that contain both probiotic bacteria and prebiotic ingredients are called symbiotics.

Nutritional Value of Soy Yoghurt…

Typical for soy yogurt is that it contains live bacteria. These friendly bacteria foster a healthy colon and can even lower the risk of colon cancer. Lactobacteria promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon and reduces the conversion of bile into carcinogenic bile acids. The friendly bacteria in yogurt seems to inactivate harmful substances before they can become carcinogenic. Bacterial enzymes created by the yogurt culturing process partially digest the proteins making them easier to absorb.

Nutritional Value of Soy Yoghurt (per 100g)

Instifoods product range…

• Soy Milk (500ml, 1L, 2L)
• Soy Yoghurt (150ml) Peach Flavour
• Soy Yoghurt (150ml) Banana Flavour
• Soy Yoghurt (150ml) Strawberry Flavour
• Sotherby Mineral Still Water (310ml; 500ml; 1L)
• Soy Milk Shake (310ml; 500ml)
• Soy Sour Milk (310ml; 500mlk; 1L)
• Soy Milk (500ml; 1L)
• Soy Drink (310ml; 500ml)
• Insticool Orange Crush (2 L)
• Insticool Peach Cordial (2LL)
• Insticool Mango Cordial (2L)
• Insticool Lemon & Lime Cordial (2L)

Management

Instifoods is under the management of the Department of Food Processing Technology, Harare Institute of Technology, supervised by the Dean of the School of Industrial Sciences and Technology reporting to the Vice Chancellor.

Contact Details

Physical Address:

Instifoods, Harare Institute of Technology, 15015 Ganges Rd, Belvedere, Harare, Zimbabwe

Postal Address:

Instifoods, Department of Food Processing Technology, Harare Institute of Technology, Box BE 277, Belvedere, Harare, Zimbabwe

Email:

instifoods@hit.ac.zw or pmuredzi@hit.ac.zw