1Research Scholar, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Rathnavel Subramaniam College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
2Associate Professor & Head of the Department, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Rathnavel Subramaniam College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
*Corresponding author: kanagavelneelu@gmail.com
Paper No.: 338
Pulses, part of the Legume family, are staple foods worldwide. Soybean, a major leguminous crop, is unique with its economic value. Soy is a functional food rich in bioactive compounds, especially Isoflavones. Despite its benefits, vegetable soybean is not widely recognized in India due to lack of awareness and compatible genotypes.
India accounts for 2.99 percent of global soybean production. In India primary cultivators of soybeans are Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, contributing over 95% of the country’s soybean land. Consumers increasingly demand health-conscious food products with low sugar, high protein, and dietary fiber. Soybean products, with superior vegetable varieties, offer unique flavors, textures, and high amino acid content, making them a valuable source of nutritious food. Functional and nutritional content should be maximized by processing methods. This investigation examines soybean production, use, processing, and market in India. Soybeans are processed into various food products like roasted nuts, milk, flour, and oil. Soy milk, a popular food product, accounted for 60.1% of global soy food sales in 2020.
There are many improvements in technologies for processing and product development. But the Farmers and brokers sell raw soybeans, rather than processed forms. The development of the soy market in India depends on addressing consumer preferences, the supply chain, and health benefits.
Consumer, Demand, Functional, Processing, Production
