NCI’s MASE Soymilk and Tofu Pilot Plant

Soymilk and tofu are widely consumed in the Orient and are some of the most recognized soy foods in western countries. North Dakota is a global leader in producing top-quality food-grade soybeans for the world market. In 2016, the Northern Crops Institute (NCI) installed a pilot scale soymilk and tofu processing system. The system was designed by NCI and consists of several pieces of equipment which are made in Japan, China, the USA, and India. This state-of-the-art system is very flexible and can produce soymilk and tofu compatible with differing tastes and cultures from Japan, China, and other areas around the world. 

Basically, soymilk is a water extract of soybean. It’s processing procedure is simple. First, dried soybeans need to be soaked in water for several hours. Then, the soaked soybeans are ground with water and the resultant slurry is cooked. Finally, the slurry is filtered to get cooked soymilk. This traditional soymilk can be consumed as beverage.

For making tofu, the cooked soymilk needs to be coagulated by mixing with coagulant (such as calcium sulfate.) The resultant curd can be directly consumed as pudding or silken tofu. To make regular and firm tofu, the curd needs to be broken and then transferred to a forming box where tofu is firmed and shaped through pressing. The making of tofu was first recorded in Han dynasty China some 2,000 years ago. There are many different types of tofu and tofu derived products. With our system, NCI has capability to make any tofu product.

In the past 30 years, global soymilk production has rapidly increased. Traditional soymilk has beany flavor; in China, Korea, and most southeast countries, people are used to this flavor and some people really enjoy it. But in other countries, this beany flavor is a big barrier to consumer acceptance of soymilk. With the system in our labs, NCI has the capability to make both beany flavored soymilk and non-beany flavored soymilk.  

Soybean foods are becoming popular all over the world due to their health benefits. These benefits include but are not limited to: preventing heart disease, reducing cancer risk, reducing obesity, aiding bone density, and alleviating menopausal symptoms. Soymilk and tofu are major soy foods and their qualities and yields are directly affected by soybean chemical and physical characteristics.

NCI’s soymilk and tofu processing system is scaled down to mimic large commercial production. It requires only 2 kilogram of soybeans for making tofu and 1.5 kilogram of soybeans for making soymilk. This system is used for evaluating soybean quality and demonstrating soymilk and tofu production to visitors and short-course attendants. The system is also used to develop new products and processes to help customers of northern grown soybeans.

We are very grateful to both the North Dakota Soybean Council and the Specialty Soya and Grains Alliance for their generous financial and overall support for the purchase and installation of the system. 

If you are interested in more information on NCI’s soymilk or tofu services, please contact:

David Boehm, Technical Manager
Northern Crops Institute
North Dakota State University
1240 Bolley Drive
Fargo, ND 58102
Phone: (701) 231-7736
Email: David.boehm@ndsu.edu