Welcome to Soy Happy!

This summer, we saw the passage of the Healthy School Lunch resolution in California; increased sales of veggie dogs in Major League Baseball parks; a swelling of interest and queries from prospective vendors all over the country; and interest and coverage of Soy Happy by a variety of media.

The interest in vegetarian alternative fare continues to rise. Every day, we see new studies and statistics indicating this fact. Consequently, we now have nearly 1,000 news and alert subscribers throughout the United States as well as in Canada and other parts of the world. Subscribers comprise of vendors, manufacturers, individual consumers, organizations, media representatives, celebrity endorsers, distributors, school personnel, hospital dieticians...and many more. We receive queries every day, asking for advice or suggestions or referrals. And we can barely keep up with the news that's coming out on the importance of eating more plant-based foods and the viability of the vegetarian alternative market.

The time is indeed ripe for increased exposure, availability and sales of vegetarian alternative foods in mainstream venues.

More Americans Consume Soy in their Daily Diet

Ease and Taste of Current Soyfoods Considered Major Factors According to A Recent Supermarket Guru Survey

WASHINGTON, DC - October 10, 2003 /PRNewswire/ -- Soyfoods are further emerging into the mainstream as more health-conscious consumers search for foods with nutritional benefits that are convenient and taste great. As evident by a recent, self-selected survey conducted by Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert, an expert analyst on consumer behavior and food trends and editor and contributor to NBC's Today Show, 68 percent of respondents consume soyfoods as a regular part of their diet. The survey, that Lempert states "shows how important healthy eating has become to the U.S. consumer," was conducted through Lempert's Web site, SupermarketGuru.com.

Lempert's survey results show that 73 percent of those consuming soy claim to do so because they are aware that soy delivers health benefits, and nearly 50 percent report that they choose foods containing soy simply because they enjoy the taste. The fact that nearly 50 percent said they choose foods containing soy simply because they enjoy the taste "demonstrates how far food companies have come in developing delicious soy products that are easy to incorporate into the daily diet," said Lempert. Soyfoods are eaten most frequently at breakfast and supper and include soymilk (58%), soy burgers or crumbles (43%) and tofu entrees (32%).

Lempert, who presented the findings from his online soy survey at the 11th Annual Soy Symposium, is one of America's leading consumer trend watchers and a regular guest on The View, Oprah, Discovery Health and Extra. The annual Soy Symposium, that brings together soy producers, marketing experts and product development specialists to discuss the future of the soyfoods market, was held in Chicago this past week.

The Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA) is a non-profit trade association that has been promoting consumption of soyfoods in the diet since 1978. SANA members include large and small soyfoods companies, growers and suppliers of soybeans, nutritionists, cookbook authors, equipment representatives, food scientists and retailers.

For more information, contact Nancy Chapman at 202-659-3520 or by e-mail at nancy@soyfoods.org.

(News item posted by The Soy Daily Club).

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More statistics and information about consumer interest in soy and other vegetarian alternatives can also be found on the page for concessionaires on this site.

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