Soy foods expert Dr. Suresh Itapu presents at the Tofu Workshop. Photo credit: Winrock International

Tofu is an important daily intake to the people of Myanmar, but tofu manufacturers are facing challenges to produce a high-quality and safe product.

As the Myanmar economy grows and consumers demand higher-quality and safe foods, tofu manufacturers need assistance to meet these demands and compete with a growing import of specialty tofu. Around 35,000 MT of soybeans are used annually for tofu production.

Winrock International’s Value Chains for Rural Development project, funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), organized a Tofu Workshop in March 2016, marking the first time members of the soy value chain were assembled together. During the day-long workshop, wholesalers, retailers, cold chain service providers, local soybean traders, tofu manufacturers and soy food experts discussed ideas on how to increase consumption of high-quality and safe tofu.

The American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (ASA/WISHH) was represented by Dr. Suresh Itapu, a soy food expert. Dr. Itapu helped develop the workshop’s agenda and made several presentations on conducting a consumer promotional campaign, the nutritional and health benefits of consuming soy and other value-added soy products such as soymilk.

Probably the biggest challenge facing the tofu industry is the lack of a cold supply chain. Having a reliable cold chain will lengthen the tofu’s shelf life, along with maintaining quality and safety.

At the end of the workshop, activities in food safety, enhancing factory productivity by technical upgrades and product innovation, strengthening the cold chain to end market and conducting a consumer educational campaign were recommended.

ASA/WISHH looks forward to partnering more with Winrock on future human soy activities in Myanmar.