Soybeans have long been used as human food in asia in such traditional foods as tofu, soymilk, tempeh and natto. Some of these foods have become popular in other parts of the world. In recent years, however, breakthroughs in food science and processing have made it possible to use soybean ingredients in new ways, creating foods that are familiar to consumers but that incorporate parts of the soybean for functional or nutritional purposes. This has greatly expanded the food processing industry’s use of soybeans and soy-based ingredients.