For Immediate Release
June 6, 2002

Soy Symposium To Examine
Consumer Motivation, New Markets
For Food Companies Large and Small

            The Soy Symposium, the premiere educational event for the expanding soyfoods industry, has been scheduled Sept. 19-20 at the DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel in Chicago.  Designed especially for research, product development, marketing and new business development personnel from food companies of all sizes from across the U.S., the tenth annual event is sponsored by the United Soybean Board (USB) and co-sponsored by the Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA).

            “The Soy Symposium has a long history of being a very informative event for food companies,” said Janice Peterson, chairman of the USB Domestic Marketing Committee and soybean producer from Bloomington, Ind.  “The soyfoods industry is very complex with new soyfoods on the market daily.  The symposium is designed to help companies meet consumer demands in this dynamic field.”

            This year’s symposium marks the second year USB has joined forces with SANA to host this two-day program of education and training.  USB will present its program Thursday, and SANA will present its program Thursday afternoon and Friday.

The USB program will focus on several issues of concern to food companies.  Included will be these topics and speakers:

• “What Motivates Consumers?”—Linda Gilbert, the president of HealthFocus International, will deliver this keynote address based on her experience in supplying marketing research and direction to businesses targeting health and nutrition interests.  Gilbert’s work has been noted in several national publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and Newsweek.

• “Bridging the Gap Between Health Research and Consumer and Industry Acceptance”—Although 70 percent of consumers view soy as healthy, only 29 percent consume soy once a week or more.  Mark Messina of Nutrition Matters, Inc. will provide helpful hints for closing this breach, along with other speakers.

• “Allergenicity Analysis – The Myth, The Reality, The Cure”—The concern over soy as a potential allergen will be discussed by Clare Hasler of the University of Illinois and Joan Rothenberg of the International Food and Information Council (IFIC).

• “Biotechnology:  Doing It Better, Doing It Right”—This session will deal with the environmentally responsible use of biotechnology for the benefit of mankind.  Teresa Gruber of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology and Roger Beachy of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center will be among the presenters.

 “The Soy Symposium has become a key event for soyfood companies,” Peterson said.  “The event is value-priced and packed with useful information.”

The U.S. is the world’s leading producer of soybeans, and USB is dedicated to increasing understanding of the crop.  USB, made up of 62 farmer-directors, oversees investments of the soybean checkoff, a research and promotion program funded by U.S. soybean farmers. 

SANA’s program will look at processing and marketing issues.  These topics and
speakers are on the agenda:

• “Soyfoods Take New Directions Via New Processing”—Two of the leading soy processors, Greg Warner of Dupont Protein Technologies and George Rakes of Central Soya Company, Inc., will describe new processing technologies and resulting products.

• “Soyfoods – What is Hot?  What is Not?”—Lynn Dornblasser of New Products News will present a snapshot of the marketplace, including new soyfoods and competitors.

• “Reaching Emerging Markets and Populations”—This presentation will focus on potential soyfood markets to Hispanics, children and youth and food service operations, and will be presented by Antonio Maza, general manager of Hispanic marketing at Tetra Pak, Inc., and Jeannette Endres, nutrition professor at Southern Illinois University.

• “Domestic and European Perspectives of the Health Claim Opportunities for Soy”—This session will increase understanding of opportunities for soy health claims on food labels in the U.S. and Europe.  Mark Messina of Nutrition Matters, Inc. and Dominic Dyer of the European Soya Protein Association will present.

• “The Dynamic Sales of Soyfoods”—Peter Golbitz of Soyatech, Inc. will present soyfoods sales figures and projected trends.

SANA is a non-profit trade association that has been promoting consumption of soyfoods in the diet since 1978.  SANA members represent large and small soyfoods companies, growers and suppliers of soybeans, nutritionists, cookbook authors, equipment representatives, food scientists and retailers.  SANA will sponsor several industry exhibits at the symposium.

“Exhibits are a new component of the Symposium this year,” says Roger Kilburn, past president of SANA.  “We encourage companies who want to showcase their newest products to give us a call.”

Registration is $350 for those who register by August 30.  Both days of the symposium include a soy luncheon, prepared Thursday by Chicago chef Michael Foley of Printer’s Row Restaurant and Friday by Hollywood chef Akasha Richmond.  A continental breakfast will be served each morning.  The fee includes both days of the symposium and all food functions.

To register, log onto www.talksoy.com/soysymposium or call (888) 772-8454 for more information.