Date: 02/06/2025

The history of soy in Brazil began in 1921, initially in colonies in the state of São Paulo, and over the decades it has become one of the main products of national agribusiness. A wide variety of ingredients can be obtained from this raw material, especially soy flour, which is increasingly valued by the industry in food development.

With its protein-rich composition, soy flour is used in formulations that require functionality and good performance in cooking, baking and emulsion formation processes, as well as adding texture and flavor to various products. Its application covers different categories, such as baked goods, pasta, sauces, vegetable products and meat products.

By incorporating this ingredient into food formulations, industries are able to align nutritional value, process standardization and cost optimization, expanding the functional use of soy in food.

In this article, we discuss the different types of soy flour, when to use them in industrial formulations and what benefits this ingredient offers, especially in terms of performance and functionality.

Topics:

What is soy flour and what is it used for?

Soy flour is an ingredient obtained from defatted soybean meal, after partial or total extraction of the oil. It is widely used in the food industry as a vegetable protein source, adding functionality and versatility to formulations.

Among these products, soy flour stands out for its potential to enrich formulations with high-quality proteins of plant origin. In addition to its protein content, the ingredient contains B vitamins, dietary fiber, minerals and oligosaccharides with a possible prebiotic effect, such as raffinose and stachyose (Fuchs, 2005; Monteiro et al., 2004).

As a result, soy flour is gaining ground in categories such as baked goods, dry mixes, ready meals and plant-based products, meeting consumer demands for more balanced and sustainable ingredients.

Combining nutritional quality and techno-functional potential, soy flour is a solid alternative for formulations that require functionality and good cost-benefit.

Types of soy flour and technical characteristics

When we talk about soy flour, we are generally referring to defatted soy flour, obtained from the bran resulting from extracting the oil from the grains. This process significantly reduces the fat content of the ingredient and concentrates the protein fraction, resulting in a solid product that is widely used in the food industry.

In addition to its high protein content, defatted flour has functional characteristics that can vary depending on the degree of heat applied.

Two main types are used in the food industry: inactive defatted flour and active defatted flour. Inactive flour is subjected to more intense heat treatment, which significantly reduces its enzymatic activity, resulting in a stable ingredient with low sensory interference and suitable for formulations that require greater control over oxidation, coloration and aftertaste.

Active flour, on the other hand, preserves the enzyme lipoxygenase, which acts in the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids and can be used technically to lighten dough and improve the visual appearance of baked goods and other flour products (Papaleo, 2004). To guarantee the efficiency of this effect, it is essential that the active flour does not undergo thermal processes that inactivate the enzyme before it is applied to the target formulation.

In addition to differences in enzymatic activity, soy flours also show important variations in their technological properties, such as water solubility, emulsification capacity, moisture absorption and retention, and behavior in gelled systems.

From a physicochemical point of view, defatted flour has a minimum of 50% protein and around 01% lipids, although these values can vary depending on the variety of soy flour and the growing and processing conditions (Papaleo and Botelho, 2004). Technical knowledge of these two profiles is essential to define their correct application in industrial formulations seeking functional, visual and nutritional performance.

When should soy flour be used in food formulations?

Soy flour can be used at different points in the industrial process, especially in formulations that require predictable technical performance and good stability during processing. As it is an ingredient of plant origin with broad functionality, it is suitable for compositions that involve heating, extrusion, homogenization or cooking on a large scale.

The use of soy flours is recommended in categories that require viscosity adjustment, humidity control, dough structuring and the addition of vegetable protein. This includes applications in baked goods, plant-based products, sauces, breading, fillings, dehydrated soups, extruded products and bases for processed foods.

Soy flour is also a relevant alternative in reformulations aimed at reducing or replacing ingredients of animal origin, meeting specific nutritional profiles or adapting products to demands for higher protein content and cleaner labels.

7 benefits of soy flour in the food industry

Soy flour is a multifunctional ingredient that offers advantages due to its nutritional composition and performance in different stages of the production process. Here are the main benefits that justify the use of soy flour on an industrial scale:

Thermal stability

It performs well in cooking and extrusion processes, maintaining its functionality even under high temperature conditions.

Humidity retention

Helps preserve the softness and texture of pastas and fillings by reducing moisture loss during preparation and storage. It also contributes to juiciness in meat products.

Structural support

Provides body to the formulation and improves the final texture of molded foods, baked goods and fresh or dry pasta.

Partial substitution of ingredients

Makes it possible to reduce the use of eggs, milk or wheat in some recipes, while maintaining the functional performance of the mixture.

Emulsion stability

Helps form and maintain stable emulsions, ensuring better consistency in sauces, fillings and processed products.

Shelf life extension

Helps control product dryness and degradation over time, extending shelf life with preserved sensory quality.

Compatibility with plant-based formulations

It is suitable for plant-based products that require non-animal ingredients and good technological performance with a clean label.

BRF Ingredients' soy flour portfolio

BRF Ingredients offers the market solutions with soy, including defatted flours, developed to meet industrial demands for performance, stability and quality in food formulations.

BRF Ingredients Soy Flours are produced from soybean meal from oil extraction, following processes with the BRF traceability standard.

Defatted Soy Flour - Supper-M is an inactive defatted flour whose enzymatic activity is reduced through heat treatment. The result of this process gives the ingredient greater stability, which favors the predictability of results in different manufacturing stages. Due to its low risk of unwanted enzymatic reactions, Supper-M is suitable for formulations that require texture and functionality, and is used in products such as sauces, soups, baked goods, chocolates, sausages and fillings.

Active Defatted Soy Flour - SoyMax-M keeps the lipoxygenase enzyme active, which makes it ideal for applications in which the visual appearance of the raw dough and the final finish of the product are determining factors. The presence of this enzyme helps lighten flours, as well as improving the texture and contributing to the uniformity of products such as breads, cakes and fresh or dry pasta. Because it combines functional and sensory attributes, the option is suitable for formulations that prioritize visual performance and finishing quality.

With these solutions, BRF Ingredients offers the market versatile and technically consistent options, developed to meet the standards of the food industry.

Final considerations

Soy flour is an ingredient that is widely used in the food industry and plays an important role in formulations that require a balance between functionality, stability and nutritional quality. Its technological properties allow it to be used in different product categories, contributing to the performance of industrial processes and the delivery of food with added value.

Knowing the differences between the types of flour available on the market and understanding their performance in different applications is fundamental to guaranteeing good results with a high sensory factor. Solutions such as Supper-M and SoyMax-M from BRF Ingredients have been developed to meet these requirements, with quality and versatility for different product options.

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