Des Moines Iowa to Get First Tofu Factory
Iowa is second only to Illinois in soybean production, producing 505 million bushels in 2014, and soon the state will have a new tofu factory in Des Moines. Local startup, Iowa Food Manufacture expects to begin production by the end of March, sourcing its total supply of soybeans from Iowa farms to produce approximately 25 tons of tofu per day. Initially it will sell its tofu to grocery stores in Iowa and surrounding states, however the company’s chief executive, Fei Zhou, who came to Iowa State University from China in 2009 to study English, has partnered with a Beijing-based food manufacturing company, partially owned by his parents. Depending upon the success of the Iowa venture, there is potential to deepen the connection with the Chinese market.
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