Soy Flour As A Hamburger Extender

Look at a package of preformed hamburgers and you might find a puzzling ingredient listed on the package: soy flour. Manufacturers add soy flour to many meat products. While this does have certain advantages, it can also adversely affect the nutrition and enjoyment offered by the meat. It could even make you or your loved one's sick. A little information will help you decide if buying beef extended with soy flour is a good choice or not.

Features

Soy flour is, as you might expect, flour made from ground soybeans. The Epicurious Food Dictionary reports soy flour, unlike most flours, is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. although home bakers generally mix soy flour with grain-based flours, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports corporate food manufacturers often use soy flour as a meat extender, which is why you may find "soy flour" listed among the ingredients list on preformed hamburger patties.

Benefits

Since soy flour is an excellent source of protein -- with twice the protein found in wheat flour -- its use does not lower the protein provided by hamburgers or other meat products. Also, since soy is far less expensive than beef to produce, soy flour as a hamburger extender helps lower the cost of hamburgers and other meat products, an important consideration as food prices continue to climb.

Considerations

Although soy flour in meat products has some advantages, it also has a downside. According to an article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, soy flour reduces the body's ability to absorb iron from the meat. In the absence of other iron-rich foods, this could predispose a person to iron-deficiency anemia. Too much soy flour can also negatively affect a meat product's taste and texture.

Warning

Soy is one of eight allergens responsible for 90 percent of all allergic reactions, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Although food labeling laws require all products containing soy to carry warnings, that won't help at barbecues or cookouts where the meat has been taken out of its original packaging. Ask your guests about food allergies before serving hamburgers or any other food containing soy flour. You don't want to be responsible for sending someone to the emergency room.