Seeding soy solutions.

Public researchers, seed companies and others within industry are working to enhance the soybean profile at the seed level to meet specific demands. Traits sought in new U.S. soybean varieties include those that can reduce saturated fat, increase flavor stability and eliminate the need for hydrogenation in soybean oil.

USB, through the Better Bean Initiative (BBI), has helped to evaluate the oil from a new soybean that eliminates the need for hydrogenation--a key discovery, given that the FDA will require food manufacturers to list the amount of trans fat on food product labels by 2006. Walter Fehr, Iowa State University soybean breeder, released the 1 percent linolenic oil variety. Oil from the variety is being tested by the food industry this year.

"The 1 percent linolenic trait performs better than traditional hydrogenated soybean oil in frying applications and will be a very good choice for eliminating trans fats in foods," says Fehr. "We spent about 30 years developing the trait because it did not exist in the world soybean collection. Other special soybean traits have been found in the collection and are used directly by the breeder for variety development."

Soybeans developed through the BBI, whether through conventional breeding or biotechnology, will be identified with the new QUALISOY certification mark created by USB earlier this year. In order for a variety to be considered part of the QUALISOY family, it must meet the standards set to ensure quality control and assurance.

"QUALISOY is intended to provide a major boost for this compositional improvement initiative," says Ben Kampelman, Monsanto spokesperson, St. Louis. Monsanto pledged $8.4 million to the effort and has shared genetic information. "Sharing soybean gene sequence data is expected to help better understand the soybean's genetic makeup--a critical step in creating an improved crop--soybeans with better nutritional value, greater yields, as well as crops with enhanced oil and protein characteristics."

Pioneer also supports QUALISOY. "As an early leader in the development of enhanced oil quality soybeans in partnership with Iowa State, Pioneer has been actively involved in specialty soybean research since 1991," says John Soper, director of soybean research for Pioneer, Johnston, Iowa. "The recent formation of The Solae Company, a joint venture between DuPont and Bunge Ltd., is a sign of our continuing commitment to providing soy products with enhanced end-use properties. As consumer demand for healthier food products increases, we are well positioned to offer soybean varieties that combine enhanced end-use characteristics with performance levels that growers expect."

Kampelman says Monsanto is working on several soybeans with enhanced or improved traits, including low linolenic soybeans, Omega-3 soybeans for food uses and improved protein soybeans for food and feed uses. The low linolenic varieties should be available in two years, while others are four to five years away. In the future, Monsanto plans to develop a soybean that will enable the production of saturated- and trans-fat-free oil.

"We see the future of soyfoods production as bright," says Kampelman. "Through research and investment in creating value-added soybeans, many soy-based products will emerge and benefit consumers through more nutritious and better-tasting foods and oils."