soy milk
Enable an AI agent to recognise soy milk, assess its composition and condition, and decide whether it is suitable for a proposed drinking, cooking or processing use.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise soy milk, assess its composition and condition, and decide whether it is suitable for a proposed drinking, cooking or processing use.
Soy milk is an aqueous extract of whole soybeans (Glycine max), produced by soaking, wet-grinding, and filtering the beans, then typically heat-treating the extract; it is used as a beverage, cooking liquid, and dairy analogue, and is the feedstock for tofu, yuba, and related soy foods.
It can be Identify the soy base and compare products for a specified dietary or culinary requirement.; Check preparation and storage records against applicable product instructions.; Redisperse settled material when instructions permit and record the resulting texture.; Evaluate a small trial for heating, coffee mixing, foaming or recipe substitution.; Measure composition or condition where label information and observations are insufficient.; Route a portion to use, further assessment or disposal based on documented condition and applicable guidance..
Distinguishing features
Check ingredients or preparation records for a soy-derived liquid base; a white appearance or the word 'milk' alone does not establish identity.
Distinguish soy milk from dairy milk using ingredient provenance, including whether dairy ingredients are also present.
Distinguish ready-to-use liquid soy milk from dry powder or concentrate by its supplied form and any required reconstitution.
Check whether fermentation or coagulation has intentionally produced a different food, such as soy yoghurt or tofu.
Where several plant bases are present, record their declared roles and proportions rather than assuming that any soy-containing drink is soy milk.
Scope
+ Soy milk identity, including commercial and freshly prepared forms
+ Soy content, added ingredients, fortification and declared allergens
+ Preparation, heat treatment and preservation history
+ Packaging, storage, opening history and observable condition
+ Suitability for drinking, heating, foaming and recipe substitution
- Soybean cultivation, breeding and agricultural supply chains
- Manufacturing equipment and factory operating procedures
- Other plant-based drinks and dairy milk as independently modelled products
- Tofu, soy yoghurt and other products made by transforming soy milk
- Individual medical conditions and personalised dietary prescriptions
- Packaging manufacture and waste-management systems
Characteristics
- Soy base and extraction route
- Whole-soybean extract; soy flour base; soy protein ingredient base; mixed route; unknown Supports identity assessment and interpretation of composition and processing differences.
- Soy content
- Declared percentage with basis, or grams of soy input per litre with preparation yield Helps compare formulations without treating soybean input, extracted solids and protein content as interchangeable.
- Protein concentration
- g/100 mL, with label, calculation or laboratory provenance Informs nutritional comparison and investigation of foaming or coagulation behaviour.
- Sweetening and flavouring
- Unsweetened; sweetened; flavoured; ingredients and claims recorded separately Affects taste and suitability for savoury dishes, beverages and recipe substitution.
- Fortification
- Links to added nutrients, their chemical forms and declared amounts per stated volume Prevents assuming that all soy milks provide the same nutrients or behave identically during storage.
- Allergen declaration
- Links to soy and any additional declared allergens or cross-contact statements Supports matching a specific product to supplied dietary restrictions.
- Heat treatment and preservation
- Recorded treatment, preservation method and supporting evidence; unknown permitted Helps establish the applicable storage instructions and whether preparation is complete.
- Package and opening condition
- Sealed; opened with timestamp; resealed; damaged; unrecorded Determines which handling instructions apply to the current portion.
- Storage exposure
- Temperature in °C and duration in hours, with gaps or excursions identified Allows assessment against product-specific requirements rather than appearance alone.
- Dispersion condition
- Uniform; settled; separated; flocculated; gelled; response to permitted mixing Helps distinguish a recoverable texture change from a condition requiring investigation.
- Acidity
- pH with measurement time, temperature and method Supports investigation of changes during storage or interaction with acidic ingredients without serving as a standalone safety verdict.
- Performance in intended use
- Links to a drinking, heating, foaming or recipe trial and its observed outcome Grounds suitability in the specific formulation and use conditions.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 31 questions.
Soy milk identity Establishes what the liquid is and whether it falls within the registered thing.
Appearance and product names cannot reliably separate soy milk from other white drinks, blends or transformed soy foods.
Soy base
Records the soy-derived material and evidence supporting identification.
Base provenance
The soy basis is established from an ingredient declaration or preparation record.
- Which soy ingredients or soybean preparation steps produce the liquid base? provenance
- What evidence identifies this liquid as soy milk rather than another plant drink? definition
Product boundaries
Handles blends, reconstituted forms and intentional transformations.
Form and transformation
The supplied form and any transformation determine whether this model applies directly.
- Is this ready-to-use soy milk, a concentrate, or a powder awaiting reconstitution? boundary
- Do other bases, fermentation or intentional coagulation place it within a neighbouring product model? boundary
Soy milk formulation Captures the composition that affects nutritional interpretation and use.
Soy milks differ in soy concentration, sweetening, added nutrients and texture-modifying ingredients.
Soy solids and additions
Separates the soy contribution from water and added ingredients.
Composition basis
Composition values retain their measurement basis and ingredient context.
- What soy content and protein concentration are recorded, and on what basis? measurement
- Which sugars, oils, flavourings, stabilisers or emulsifiers have been added? provenance
Nutrients and allergens
Records declared nutritional additions and relevant ingredient restrictions.
Dietary fit evidence
Suitability depends on this formulation's declarations rather than a generic soy milk profile.
- Which nutrients are added, in what forms and amounts per stated volume? measurement
- What soy, additional allergen and cross-contact declarations apply to this product? provenance
- Does the documented formulation meet the dietary constraints supplied for the intended use? action
Preparation and preservation Establishes how soy milk was prepared and the conditions under which it is intended to remain usable.
Freshly prepared and commercially preserved soy milks require different evidence about readiness and handling.
Preparation completion
Tracks the process used to produce the drink and evidence that required preparation is complete.
Processing record
Preparation status is supported by recorded steps or manufacturer information.
- What extraction, filtration and heat-treatment steps are documented for this batch? provenance
- What instructions or validated process establish whether further preparation is required before consumption? action
Preservation conditions
Connects treatment and packaging to applicable storage and opening instructions.
Handling envelope
Storage requirements are specific to the product, package and opening state.
- What preservation method and package type support the stated unopened storage conditions? provenance
- What storage, date and after-opening instructions apply to this exact soy milk? action
Current condition Assesses the portion's handling history and physical changes.
Soy milk can show separation or coagulation whose meaning depends on formulation, handling and use context.
Exposure history
Records events that affect confidence in the current portion.
Portion handling
Opening, transfer and temperature history are associated with the portion being assessed.
- When was the package opened or the soy milk prepared, transferred or reconstituted? provenance
- What temperatures and durations are recorded, and where is the exposure history unknown? measurement
Physical and sensory change
Interprets visible or otherwise observed changes without treating them as sufficient proof of safety.
Dispersion and change
Observed sediment, separation, clumps or package changes are compared with expected product behaviour.
- What settling, separation, clumping, colour, odour or package changes are observed relative to the expected condition? measurement
- If mixing is permitted, does it restore a uniform liquid or leave persistent clumps or sediment? measurement
- Do the observations and handling records support use, require further assessment or meet applicable disposal criteria? action
Culinary performance Evaluates how the specific soy milk behaves in the intended preparation.
A soy milk suitable for drinking may give a different result in coffee, foam, sauces or a substituted recipe.
Heat and acid response
Captures texture changes under the actual mixing and heating conditions.
Mixing stability
Use trials connect separation or coagulation to temperature, ingredient conditions and mixing order.
- At what temperatures and mixing order does this soy milk remain uniform or form clumps in the intended drink or dish? measurement
- What change to formulation choice or preparation conditions is supported by the observed trial? action
Foam and substitution
Matches flavour, texture and functional performance to a requested outcome.
Application fit
Suitability is assessed against explicit recipe or beverage requirements.
- For a foaming use, what foam volume, texture and persistence are observed under the stated method? measurement
- Does the soy milk's sweetness, flavour and consistency meet the intended recipe requirements? boundary
- What substitution amount or recipe adjustment has been demonstrated for this formulation? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Traditional unsweetened soy milk (whole-bean extract, often with residual beany flavour)
- Commercial refrigerated soy milk (UHT or pasteurised, often fortified and flavoured)
- Shelf-stable UHT soy milk (tetra-pak / aseptic cartons)
- Sweetened / flavoured soy milk (vanilla, chocolate, and similar)
- Barista / foam-stable soy milk (formulated for espresso)
- Organic soy milk
- Infant soy formula (regulated medical/infant-nutrition product, distinct from beverage soy milk)
- Concentrated / powdered soy milk (reconstituted for beverage or food manufacture)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of soy milk this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q33941 - soy milk (soy milk / soymilk / soya milk)
- FoodEx2 (EFSA) - A03QD - soya drink (code used in EFSA food classification; confirm against current FoodEx2 release)
- LanguaL / FoodOn - product type: soymilk; organism: Glycine max - taxonomic parent is the soybean, not a Linnaean code for the beverage itself
- GTIN / UPC - retail pack GTINs, brand-specific; no single SKU for the class - use only for a named commercial product, not the kind
- UNSPSC - 50201706 (Soy milk) reported in some catalogues - commodity classification; verify in the current UNSPSC release before encoding
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of soy milk this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Codex Alimentarius: no dedicated world standard titled 'soy milk'; plant-based drinks are treated nationally. Related: CXS 175-1989 Soy protein products; CXS 240-2003 Aqueous coconut products (naming analogue).
- China: GB/T 30885-2014 Plant protein beverages - Soymilk and soymilk beverage (SAC/AQSIQ); protein and naming rules for 豆浆 vs 豆奶饮料.
- USA: FDA standards of identity do not currently reserve 'milk' exclusively; FDA draft guidance (2018, still discussed) on plant-based milk alternatives labelling; soy allergen is a major food allergen under FALCPA / FASTER Act (soy remains a major allergen).
- EU: Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 Annex VII reserves the term 'milk' for mammary secretion; CJEU C-422/16 (TofuTown) bars 'soy milk' as a sales name in the EU - 'soy drink' / 'soya drink' is the lawful name. Novel-food rules generally do not apply to traditional soy milk.
- Infant formula: EU 2016/127 and US 21 CFR 107 govern soy-based infant formula as a separate regulated product, not beverage soy milk.
- Allergen labelling: Codex CXS 1-1985 / EU 1169/2011 Annex II (soya); US FALCPA - soy must be declared.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of soy milk this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Breakfast beverage and coffee/tea whitener, including barista formulations steamed for espresso.
- Cooking liquid in East and Southeast Asian cuisines (savoury breakfast soy milk with youtiao; soups; desserts).
- Industrial feedstock: coagulation into tofu; skin formation into yuba; fermentation into some yoghurts and cheeses.
- Dairy-free and lactose-free substitute in baking, sauces, and ready-to-drink cartons.
- School meals, hospital and care-home menus as a fortified plant drink where dairy is refused or contraindicated (not a medical food unless labelled as such).
- Infant soy formula is a clinical/feeding product sold under formula law, not the same SKU as grocery soy milk.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of soy milk this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- protein (typical unsweetened commercial soy drink) - 2.5-4.0 (traditional/Chinese soymilk often ≥4.5-6 when undiluted) - g/100 mL
- fat - 1.5-3.0 (full-fat extract); 'light' SKUs lower - g/100 mL
- energy - 130-250 (unsweetened); sweetened higher - kJ/100 mL
- solids (total) - 6-12 for beverage; traditional thick doujiang higher - g/100 g
- calcium (unfortified vs fortified) - unfortified ~10-25; fortified often 80-120 targeting dairy parity - mg/100 mL
- isoflavones (aglycone equivalents, variable by process) - roughly 5-15 in many commercial drinks; process- and cultivar-dependent - mg/100 mL
- pH after heat treatment - 6.5-7.2 typical for unacidified soy milk - pH
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of soy milk this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Soy is a major food allergen; undeclared soy in other foods and cross-contact in shared lines.
- Bacillus cereus and other spore-formers: under-processed or poorly chilled soy milk can cause emetic/diarrhoeal illness; traditional unrefrigerated doujiang is a known risk if held warm.
- Trypsin inhibitors and lectins in raw slurry: inadequate boiling/UHT leaves residual anti-nutrients and a harsh flavour; commercial heat treatment is the control.
- Lipoxygenase 'beany' off-flavour if beans are ground without hot-grind or enzyme inactivation.
- Separation, sedimentation, and chalky mouthfeel if not homogenised or stabilised.
- Spoilage (souring, coagulation, blown packs) after temperature abuse of pasteurised product; UHT packs fail at seal or puncture.
- Infant soy formula is not interchangeable with grocery soy milk; using beverage soy milk as infant feed is a nutritional hazard.
- Phytoestrogen/isoflavone concerns are mainly for high-dose supplements; EFSA did not establish the same risk profile for traditional soy foods at dietary intakes, but the question remains contested in some clinical settings (thyroid, estrogen-sensitive conditions).
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of soy milk this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- East Asia: 豆浆 / 豆漿 (doujiang) is a hot breakfast staple, often unsweetened or lightly sweetened, sold fresh; 'soy milk' in English maps imperfectly onto this thicker extract.
- EU: lawful sales name is typically 'soy drink' / 'soya drink', not 'soy milk' (TofuTown / C-422/16).
- USA, Canada, Australia: 'soy milk' / 'soymilk' is the ordinary grocery name; Australia/NZ also use 'soy drink' on some labels.
- UK/Ireland post-Brexit still follow the dairy-term reservation in practice for 'milk' on plant drinks.
- China GB/T 30885 distinguishes soymilk from soymilk beverage (lower protein, more sugar/flavour).
- Indonesia/Malaysia/Singapore: 'susu soya' / 'soya bean milk' in wet markets and branded cartons; often sweetened.
- Japan: tōnyū (豆乳), including adjusted (chōsei) and unadjusted types under JAS-related labelling practice.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of soy milk this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Cow's milk - Mammary secretion of Bos taurus; lactose present, casein micelles, different protein profile. Test: lactose assay / Bos casein ELISA; soy milk is lactose-free and contains soy protein and isoflavones.
- Other plant drinks (almond, oat, rice, coconut, pea) - Different source crop and protein/fat fingerprint. Test: species-specific protein or DNA (soy lectin / Gly m allergens vs oat avenin, almond Pru du, etc.).
- Soy protein isolate beverage / 'protein shake' - Built from isolated soy protein, not whole-bean extract; fibre and some micronutrients stripped. Test: process declaration and typically higher protein per energy, low residual okara solids.
- Tofu slurry / silken tofu (kinugoshi) - Coagulated soy milk (nigari, gypsum, GDL); gelled protein network, not a free-flowing drink. Test: gel vs liquid; coagulant residues.
- Okara (soy pulp) drink or reconstituted okara beverage - Uses the fibre-rich press cake rather than the filtered extract. Test: much higher insoluble fibre; different mouthfeel.
- Infant soy formula - Nutrient-complete formula under infant-formula law (EU 2016/127, 21 CFR 107), not a grocery beverage. Test: legal category on pack and micronutrient fortification to formula tables.
- Sweetened soymilk beverage (China: 豆奶饮料) vs soymilk (豆浆) - GB/T 30885 protein floor and naming: beverage may be diluted/flavoured below soymilk protein minima. Test: protein g/100 mL against the standard grade.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of soy milk this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- Codex Standard for Fermented Milks (CXS 243-2003) and related Codex work on plant-based beverages; Codex Alimentarius Commission, FAO/WHO - International food-standard framing of dairy vs. non-dairy beverages; used only as context that Codex treats fermented milks separately from plant extracts. Primary naming for soy milk itself is national, not this standard.
- FoodData Central: Soymilk, original and vanilla, unfortified (FDC ID 175217 and related soy milk entries) - Typical composition ranges (protein, fat, energy, calcium when unfortified vs fortified) for commercial US soy milk.
- Risk assessment for peri- and post-menopausal women taking food supplements containing isolated isoflavones (EFSA Journal 2015;13(10):4246) - Isoflavone content as a characteristic of soy foods; distinction between traditional soy foods (including soy milk) and high-dose isoflavone supplements.
- GB/T 30885-2014 Plant protein beverages - Soymilk and soymilk beverage (China national recommended standard) - Chinese industrial distinction between soymilk (doujiang / 豆浆) and soymilk beverage, protein minima, and naming practice in the largest producing/consuming market.
What the second pass must settle
- What registry boundary should apply to mixed plant-base drinks, soy protein ingredient drinks, concentrates and powders sold for making soy milk?
- Which authoritative preparation requirements apply to each fresh or homemade soy milk process, and what evidence is sufficient to establish completion?
- Which product-specific criteria distinguish expected settling or ingredient-induced coagulation from deterioration requiring disposal?
- How should soybean input percentage, extracted soy solids and protein concentration be compared when manufacturers report different bases?
- Which repeatable tests best predict coffee compatibility, foam persistence and recipe substitution performance across soy milk formulations?