Schouten USA Inc: From Soy To Fenugreek To Flaxseed

Schouten USA Inc., Minneapolis, MN, evolved from a Dutch-based company established in 1893 by the Schouten family. The Royal Schouten group started as a local bakery and slowly moved on to supplying the baking industry with grains and ingredients, according to Laurent Leduc, vice president, sales and marketing. As of today, however, the grain and bakery business has totally disappeared.

Schouten USA was organized in 1974 to execute two major missions: (1) To be a principal in North American grain and oil seed markets, purchasing a variety of beans, including large quantities of soybeans, for processing by The Royal Schou­ten Group; (2) To purchase milling wheat for export and use by the baking industry in Western Europe. These two missions continue today as the company offers a range of ingredients for the food and nutraceuticals industry.

Within Schouten’s product portfolio is SoyLife®, which is a proprietary soy germ ingredient developed in Europe by its parent organization. Initially, SoyLife was promoted to the food and bakery industry on the basis of its isoflavone content, although iso­flavones and their benefits were virtually unknown at the time. Finding resistance in the food and bakery industry, Schouten turned to the dietary supplement market for potential customers. Within a short time SoyLife attracted a large supplement manufacturer and secured its first major sale, which established SoyLife as a viable ingredient in the United States. Since 1998, thanks to the expanding awareness, clinical research and base of knowledge relative to the health value of soy germ’s nutritional components, SoyLife has made major inroads into the functional food as well as supplement markets, incorporated into more than 300 products worldwide.

SoyLife is available in two different isoflavone concentrations: the natural non-extracted 2.3% (by average) isoflavone concentrate and the natural but more concentrated 11% (by average) isoflavone extract. In a production process where no solvents, diluents or additives are used, the con­centration of isoflavones in SoyLife Complex is 2.3% on average, purely by means of careful selection. It is this careful process that allows SoyLife Complex to contain 20 times more isoflavones than traditional soy ingredients and food sources. “With one gram of SoyLife Complex you not only add an average 23 mg soy iso­flavones to your products, but the whole array of other important soy nutrients such as proteins, oligosaccharides, unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals,” said Mr. Leduc.

Schouten USA recently expanded its ingredient offerings to include Fenu­Life™, which is a proprietary odorless, high fiber fenugreek seed extract with long-established blood sugar and weight control benefits. Fenugreek is one of the oldest cultivated herbs and its medicinal properties have been well known for centuries. Today, fenugreek is grown for food, condiment, medicinal and forage purposes and is also used in baked goods, chutneys and artificial maple syrup. Mr. Leduc explained Fenu­Life’s development. “The way FenuLife is unique is that it comes from a 10-year selection process in Canada to single out a new variety of fenugreek seed with high soluble fiber and low odor. It came from traditional breeding, so it is non-GMO, but we had to spend many years to come up with the perfect seed for that ingredient,” he said, ad­ding, “We are the only ones who have access to this new variety of fenugreek seed.” FenuLife is available in several fiber concentrations ideal for capsules, drinks, bars and other dietary supplements.

Most recently Schou­ten has un­veiled its newest ingredient derived from flax, which is called FlaxLife™. For the first time, according to Mr. Leduc, dietary supplement and food companies will have access to a concentrate of lignans. “Flax is already quite popular for the health benefits of its oil in terms of the omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids but there is another nutrient in the flax called lignans, which is a type of hormone with excellent health properties,” he said.

Discussing future endeavors for Schouten, Mr. Leduc said, “Our company will remain dedicated to developing, manufacturing and marketing health ingredients worldwide. We target ingredients from plants that have good scientific backgrounds and prefer to develop trademark recognition for our ingredients and sponsor clinical studies to create a ripple effect in the marketplace, not only by educating the manufacturer, but also the retailer and consumer, about the health benefits of that ingredient.”—R.M.
Schouten USA
3300 Edinborough Way
Minneapolis, MN 55435
Telephone: 952-920-7700
Fax: 952-920-7704
E-mail: l.leduc@schoutenusa.com
Website: www.schoutenusa.com; www.soylife.com; www.fenulife.com