New soy-based functional food from Mai's Foods

Mai's Foods, which also trades as Margaret's Kitchen, introduced a new soy-based functional food product at last week's Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim, California.

Caramel Soy-Flax Chews are described as "a breakthrough in functional food taste and benefits,"​ and the company said that there had been a great deal of interest in the product at the show.

The chews are hand made with a proprietary process, and packaged for maximum shelf visibility. "The ingredients that make up Caramel Soy-Flax Chews are at the same time simple and elegant, blending taste and science in a harmony of good eating and healthy benefits,"​ the company said with a touch of hyperbole.

These ingredients include SoyLife, a patented soy germ concentrate, Canadian flax seed meal, EnergySmart (a patented all natural, gluten-free, sweetener), Fruitrim (an all natural, gluten-free ingredient used to extend shelf life in finished food products) roasted unsalted soy nuts and natural peanut butter, plus natural flavourings. There are no chemical additives and no preservatives.

The company claimed that the Caramel Soy-Flax Chews contained low glycemic carbohydrates to help stabilise blood sugar levels and maximise energy over an extended period of time. The product contains no high fructose corn syrup that can cause blood sugar peaks and valleys and lead to insulin resistance.

SoyLife, a key ingredient, is made from the germ of soy and contains 40 per cent soy protein, 16 per cent fatty acids, 25 per cent carbohydrates, 5 per cent minerals and 4 per cent saponins. Together, these compounds support a healthy cholesterol level and support the immune system, the company claimed. SoyLife also provides up to 25 mg of isoflavones per gram of SoyLife. It is said to help lean muscle to recover and repair and normalise immune function.

Margaret Tsao, founder of Margaret's Kitchen, developed a proprietary process for incorporating the highest quality flaxseed into the product that eliminates the problems of rancidity normally associated with flax. Caramel Soy-Flax Chews are therefore a good means of increasing omega-3 fatty acid levels, the company said.

The creation of products such as Caramel Soy-Flax Chews stems from Tsao's own desire to find alternatives to standard Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to treat the menopause. She found that soy and flaxseed were two of nature's highest sources of plant oestrogen and omega-3 fatty acids, and then set out to develop a recipe that would use both soy and flax, taste good, be convenient, and use only whole, natural ingredients without flavour maskers, additives or preservatives.