McLane Global, a global food trading company, is working with ASA’s WISHH program in preparation for McLane Global’s fall 2013 U.S. launch of tasty and crunchy soy protein snacks made with CHS Soy Flour. WISHH and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) have assisted Imperial Foods in Cameroon, Africa to use CHS soy flour in the production of noodles that were adapted from a formulation that the Minnesota Qualified State Soybean Board helped develop for Asian markets about 10 years ago. With WISHH technical assistance, Imperial Noodles began manufacturing and marketing the snack noodles in West Africa last year.

USDA and WISHH also introduced Imperial to McLane Global. The Houston-based McLane Global tested U.S. consumer response to the snacks during a major food show in California earlier this year. They received strong positive feedback to the snack noodles that are eaten from a bag, offer the benefits of protein and vitamins, and are lower in sodium than many traditional noodles.

"There is nothing like it in the marketplace today," says McLane Global CEO Mike Julian. "This product has an important role for fighting childhood obesity."

Under its Lady Liberty brand, McLane Global plans to introduce the noodles to a variety of U.S. markets, ranging from school backpack programs to convenience stores to supermarkets and food banks, in fall 2013.

View a short video about the history of WISHH, USDA and CHS’ work with Imperial at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNUoVvdGb_c.