Now Foods Textured Soy Protein Chunks

Textured Soy Protein (T.S.P.) Chunks are an unflavored and versatile food produced from defatted steamed soybeans. Textured Soy Protein Chunks are normally used in place of meat for vegetarian burgers, casseroles, stews, soups and especially meatballs. For normal use, pre-soak in water or seasoned sauce to soften before using. NOW Foods T.S.P. Chunks are made entirely from soybeans. Through an extrusion process using forced air, a meatlike texture is produced. NOW Foods Textured Soy Protein Chunks has no chemical additives and is an excellent source of protein, fiber, magnesium and iron.

What is Soy Good For? What are the Ingredients and Content?
Research has shown soy products to be an excellent addition to any diet. Eastern cultures have traditionally consumed diets high in soy content, and the incidence of certain diseases have been significantly lower in Eastern cultures. Western cultures, which consume diets high in animal fats, appear to have higher incidences of certain diseases, as well as obesity. Although research is ongoing, scientists believe the isoflavone content of natural soy may be responsible for its health benefits. In fact, the FDA has approved a statement to be used in the labeling of qualified soy products: Calculating the isoflavone content of any Soy product is fairly simple. Generally speaking, there are 2 mg of soy isoflavones per gram of Soy Protein. Take the protein content of a Soy product from NOW and multiply it by two, then convert to milligrams. For example, if Soy Milk powder contains 9 grams of protein per serving, multiply 9 times 2 for 18, then convert to milligrams, for a total of 18 mg of isoflavones per serving. Soy Protein is one of NOW's most popular Soy products. NOW uses the Supro brand of Soy Protein Isolate, one of the highest quality forms of this nutrient. On the label of this product, it states that the product contains 90% Soy Protein. The other 10% is composed of moisture and naturally occurring minerals. Each serving may contain up to 42 mg of naturally occurring soy isoflavones per serving, with the average falling in the mid-30 mg range. NOW does not add isoflavones to any of their Soy products, all isoflavones are naturally occurring. Soy Protein contains no gluten, wheat, barley, rye or oat-based fillers, and no chemicals are used in the extraction process - water only (hydrolysis). It is usually mixed into drinks or shakes, but can be used in baking applications if desired. Since it is a pure protein product, there are no carbohydrates in Soy Protein Powder. The soybeans used to produce NOW Soy products contain naturally occurring oxalic acid, but the levels are extremely low and do not pose a concern for persons sensitive to this compound. Avoid foods like spinach, cabbage, rhubarb, sorrel and black tea. These foods are generally high in oxalic acid.

Are your soy products GE-free?
Many of NOW's Soy products are GE-free, and we are adding to this list often. All of NOW's non-GE Soy products are clearly labeled as such on the principal display panel (front of label). If non-GE does not appear on the labeling of a Soy product, it is not free of genetically modified organisms. Do not confuse organic with non-GE they are not the same. While organic products are GE-free, there are other factors that qualify a product as organic that do not apply to non-GE products. As with non-GE Soy products, organic Soy products are clearly labeled as such. NOW carries an extensive line of regular and GE-free Soy products.

What is the equivalency between cooked and uncooked Soybeans?
Many people like to consume uncooked soybeans instead of cooking them, but aren't sure of the equivalency between cooked and uncooked soybeans. When consuming uncooked soybeans, 1/3 cup equals 1 cup of cooked soybeans. Cooked or uncooked, Soybeans are a great source of natural nutrients!

How do I reconstitute NOW Soy Powder or Soy Milk Powder?
Due to space limitations in the labeling of NOW Soy Powder and Soy Milk Powder, reconstitution instructions were not included on the package. Mix ¼ cup of Soy Powder with 8 to 10 ounces of water for reconstitution purposes. Soy Milk made with NOW Soy Powder or Soy Milk Powder is delicious, nutritious, and usually less expensive than pre-packaged soy milk brands. Also, there are no additives or preservatives. 25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

NOW Soy Milk Powder doesn't contain mixing instructions. How much powder do I use to make a quart of Soy Milk?
For one quart of Soy Milk, mix ¼ cup in 8-10 ounces of water. This product is instantized and should mix easily. NOW Soy Milk Powder is free of genetically engineered ingredients.

Can you provide recipes that utilize your Soy products?
NOW does not offer recipes or a cookbook for Soy products at this time. Check the HealthNotes section of NOW website for a variety of healthy recipes, some containing soy products.

What Soy products does NOW carry and how can I order?
NOW carries an extensive line of regular and GMO-free Soy products. Research has shown soy to be an excellent addition to any diet. Eastern cultures have traditionally consumed diets high in soy content, and the incidence of certain diseases have been significantly lower in Eastern cultures. Western cultures, which consume diets high in animal fats, appear to have higher incidences of certain diseases, as well as obesity. Although research is ongoing, scientists believe the isoflavone content of natural soy may be responsible for its health benefits. In fact, the FDA has approved a statement to be used in the labeling of qualified soy products: 5 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. You will find this approved statement on any applicable NOW Soy product, along with the number of grams of Soy Protein per serving.

Is the synthesized Ipriflavone molecule identical to the isoflavone molecules found in soy? Is it of concern if breast cancer runs in the family?
Ipriflavones's structure is slightly different from soy's isoflavones: daidzein, genistein, and glycitein. It does resemble its major metabolite daidzein. Daidzein may have mild estrogenic-like properties so most nutritionists would be conservative and not suggest Ipriflavone for someone with estrogen sensitive issues.

NOW's Mission
The NOW mission is - To provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives. NOW Foods is an award-winning and highly respected manufacturer of vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements and natural foods.

In 1948, with the natural food and supplement industry in its infancy, entrepreneur Paul Richard paid $900 for the purchase of Fearn Soya Foods—a Chicago based manufacturer of grain and legume-based products. This began a six-decade legacy of providing health-seeking consumers with high-quality, affordable nutrition products.

History of NOW
In 1968, NOW Foods was founded under the belief that good health was not a luxury available only to the wealthy. For the past forty years, NOW has made it their life's work to offer health food and nutritional supplements of the highest quality, at prices that are fair and affordable to all those who seek them. Today, NOW Foods is one of the top-selling brands in health foods stores, an award-winning manufacturer, a respected advocate of the natural product industry, and a leader in the fields of nutritional science and methods development. And while NOW has grown considerably over the past four decades, one thing has never changed – NOW's commitment to providing products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives.

NOW Commitments

• Customer Focused and Information Driven - NOW believes that their products, services, and the decisions they make should be primarily influenced by the desires and needs of NOW customers. The decisions that NOW makes should be based on accurate information and therefore NOW places a high value on knowledge and learning within their organization.
• Quality and Value Oriented - Acting in the best interest of NOW customers, NOW endeavors to produce the highest quality products at competitive prices. NOW's first priority is to maintain quality where it counts the most – in the products. NOW's exceptional cost-conscious team of employees then focuses their energies on driving costs down. Nurturing this competency of value drives NOW's ability to provide high quality products at the very best prices.
• Natural is Better - NOW is convinced that natural products are better than their synthetic counterparts and produce better results in human health. Therefore, wherever possible, NOW strives to provide products that contain natural ingredients because they are better for their customers.

NOW Science
NOW's experienced professional and technical staff formulates their products to be of the highest quality. NOW has a group of biochemists, chemists, nutritionists, and food technologists who review current science and nutritional parameters, and formulate our products to be effective for the intended use. NOW's structure/function claims are based on science for active ingredients, and on nutritional science for nutritional content. Serving sizes are based on doses from clinical studies and other published data. NOW's contemporary formulas are designed to meet the health and wellness needs of today’s consumers. NOW uses ingredients that have been tested for effectiveness in clinical trials and laboratory studies. The heart of NOW science is third party independent research. NOW investigates and review clinical studies and other lab studies conducted on their ingredients and their formulas. Best science is used to support best formulations which lead to best quality. NOW products are constantly being tested in clinical trials conducted at top universities and research centers around the country and in various parts of the world. NOW products are being tested to determine such things as effectiveness for joint support, quality of life for cancer patients, cardiovascular support, and athletic endurance. Effective products mean health and wellness benefits, which mean quality.

GMP Quality Assured
NOW’s GMP certification covers standard operating procedures, employee training, product specifications, expiration dating, vendor certifications and much more. Standard operating procedures include sampling and testing incoming materials according to NOW Foods specifications, inspecting manufacturing processes, and testing finished products to specifications. Tests include organoleptic evaluation (human senses such as sight, taste, smell), physical testing of tablets and capsules, chemical identity of ingredients, potency and contamination testing by the company’s in-house state-of-the-art analytical testing lab, as well as microbiological testing by NOW Foods’ in-house rapid analysis microbiological lab.