🌱 Soy milk

Soy milk is a plant-based drink: soybeans are soaked, ground with water, boiled and strained. It comes from China, where the oldest record of it is on a stone slab from the Eastern Han dynasty. Under EU law the word "milk" is reserved for milk of animal origin, so on packs in Europe this product is called a soy drink.

For the traditional drink, beans are soaked for at least three hours, or overnight, and ground with water at a ratio of 10 to 1 by weight. The mixture is boiled for 15–20 minutes, which improves the flavor, neutralizes trypsin inhibitors and sterilizes the product. The finished drink has 1–4% protein depending on how it is made. It reached Europe and America in the second half of the 20th century; Belgium's Alpro began production in 1980.

According to USDA, 100 g of unsweetened soy drink with added calcium and vitamins A and D has 33 kcal, 2.86 g of protein, 1.61 g of fat, 124 mg of calcium and 0 mg of cholesterol; whole cow's milk has 60 kcal, 3.27 g of protein, 3.2 g of fat, 123 mg of calcium and 12 mg of cholesterol. The NHS places unsweetened calcium-enriched soy drinks in the group of dairy foods and their alternatives.

On 14 June 2017, in case C-422/16, the Court of Justice of the EU ruled that the names "milk", "cream", "butter", "cheese" and "yogurt" cannot be used for purely plant-based products, even with a note about their origin; there is no exception for soy and tofu.

Soy milk or cow's milk? The difference starts with the source: soy drink is made from soaked soybeans ground with water, boiled and strained, while cow's milk comes from the animal. Per 100 g, unsweetened soy drink with calcium has 33 kcal, 2.86 g of protein and 1.61 g of fat; whole cow's milk has 60 kcal, 3.27 g and 3.2 g, with about the same calcium (124 against 123 mg) but 12 mg of cholesterol against none. Oat drink, by comparison, has about 1.2 g of protein per 100 ml. In the EU the soy product is sold as “soy drink”, not milk.

In the EU, look for “soy drink” (soya drink) rather than “soy milk”: this follows a 2017 ruling of the Court of Justice, not a producer's whim. Check three things on the pack: whether it is unsweetened, whether calcium and vitamins are added, and the protein per 100 g. The NHS places unsweetened calcium-enriched soy drinks among the alternatives to dairy foods. You will find them with other plant-based drinks in a supermarket or a health-food shop.

Why it matters to you. On EU packaging you will see "soy drink" (soya drink), and that is not a producer's whim but a legal requirement. Check the ingredients: whether the drink is unsweetened and whether calcium and vitamins are added. About 10–15% of infants with a cow's milk allergy react to soy as well (Wikipedia).