Soybean FAQ &
U.S. SOY FAQ

No. U.S. Soy does not produce or sell soybean oil or meal. U.S. Soy is a resource for the edible oil and meal industry, and helps introduce and promote new trait-enhanced oils and meal as they are developed. U.S. Soy can connect you with our partner oil suppliers to facilitate your needs. You can request a free sample of high oleic soybean oil or shortening here, or contact us here.

Yes. Products like U.S. grown high oleic soybean oil, and other trait-enhanced oils and meal are largely developed through modern biotechnology. Biotechnology can add value for the consumer, such as a higher proportion of healthful fats. It also contributes improved functionality traits that directly benefit the food industry, including extended fry life and shelf life, and the ability to produce products that meet consumer expectations for flavor, color and texture. On top of the functional benefits that biotechnology can offer, it also allows growers to employ more sustainable practices on their farms. Learn more here.

Conventional and high oleic soybean oils, soy-based shortenings and oil blends are available. Soy-based margarines will be available soon.  

To request a free sample of high oleic soybean oil or shortening, fill out our sample request form and a U.S. Soy oils expert will reach out to you.

Foodservice operators and food manufacturers that have tried high oleic soybean oil and shortening have been satisfied with the improved functionality, high-heat stability and longer fry life and appreciate that it is U.S. grown. Health professionals, including registered dietitian nutritionists in the foodservice industry, think high oleic soybean oil is a viable option to reduce saturated fats from foodservice menus. High oleic soybean oil offers several nutritional benefits. It is lower in saturated fat and higher in monounsaturated fats, providing the stability required to perform in a variety of applications, compared to other high-stability oils commonly used in food production. Consumers can enjoy the locally grown and sustainably sourced ingredient option they desire while food companies can enjoy the neutral flavor, low oil-pick up and improved nutritional profile. Functionality and sensory tests revealed that high oleic soybean oil rates the highest in overall likeability compared to other high-stability oils (mid oleic sunflower, high oleic canola and palm oil).

Functionality tests conducted by U.S. Soy in collaboration with Stratas Foods, LLC, compared high oleic soybean oil and shortening to other commercially available conventional and high oleic oils, in various applications. Top performance, along with competitive cost and availability, prove that high oleic soybean oil and shortening are superior oil solutions. They offer extended fry life, compared to other vegetable oils, and increased functionality for the food industry.

In addition, U.S. grown high oleic soybeans are sustainably produced. In comparison to other oilseed crops, there are four times more growing acreage for U.S. soybeans which ensures stable production volume from year to year, regardless of weather. U.S. soybean growers are collaborating with seed technology companies to ramp up crop production and accelerate the supply of high oleic soybeans for edible and inedible uses and off-shore export.

Yes. High oleic soybean oil was commercialized in 2011 and is currently available. The entire soybean industry is dedicated to the success of high oleic soybeans and high oleic soybean oil. In less than a decade, high oleic soybeans will be the fourth-largest grain and oilseed crop in the U.S. and the supply of high oleic soybean oil will exceed all other high oleic offerings combined in North America.

High oleic soybean oil is priced very competitively compared to other high-oleic oils (i.e. canola, safflower and sunflower). There is a premium relative to conventional soybean oil but as volumes, competition and efficiencies of scale increase over time, this will decrease.

Yes, nine billion total pounds of U.S. grown high oleic soybean oil is projected to be available within the next decade, making high oleic soybeans the fourth largest row crop in the United States and a commodity in its own right. Separate and distinct from conventional soybeans, high oleic soybeans and high oleic soybean oil were developed to complement conventional soybeans, with each having their own unique functional and nutritional properties addressing the varied needs and demands of the food industry.

The U.S. soy industry also has invested in research to create soybean varieties that offer an improved bundle of nutritional characteristics for both oil and protein. These enhanced varieties of soybeans will result in meal with improved nutritional content for poultry, swine and other species. Commercialization of Enhanced Nutritional Energy Soybeans (ENE) is likely to occur between 2021-2023. The Reduced Carbohydrate Soybean (RCS) variety is in the initial development stages and expected to be commercialized between 2027-2030.

Soybean oil processing methods, such as interesterification and blending, result in soybean shortenings that are superior solutions for food applications that require solid and semi-solid shortenings, such as baked goods. The processing methods are available for conventional and high oleic soybean oils.

Blending is another method used for bakery applications to improve product nutrition and functionality. A fully hydrogenated soybean oil is blended with a non-hydrogenated oil, such as conventional soybean oil, high oleic soybean oil or alternative vegetable oils. This mixture is chilled, blended and tempered to stabilize it for final use.

Interesterification is an effective processing technique used to create soy-based shortenings. During this process, fatty acids are rearranged within and among triglyceride molecules, resulting in a wide range of products similar to those produced from partial hydrogenation, such as baked goods including icings, puff pastries, pies, donuts, cookies, cakes, spreads and more.

Yes, a variety of formulations can be developed to suit your company’s specific needs. Please contact U.S. Soy or your oils supplier to discuss a solution that will meet your needs.

Fully hydrogenated oils are individual fats and oils, or blends of fats and oils, that are hydrogenated to complete or near complete saturation. The full hydrogenation process is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in edible products. Fully hydrogenated soybean oil can be blended with a non-hydrogenated oil, such as conventional soybean oil, high oleic soybean oil or alternative vegetable oils, to create a suitable ingredient for bakery applications.

Soybean shortenings are proven solutions for the food industry and perform well in bakery applications, including icings, puff pastries, pies, donuts, cookies, cakes, spreads and more.