Farmers Encouraged to Remember the Original Soyfood During Soyfoods Month

Food industry holds reigns as soy oil’s biggest user

If you’re planting soybeans and take a break for lunch, dinner or a snack, you’re probably eating the result of what you may have sown last spring and harvested last fall.

The U.S. soy industry designates April as soyfoods month. While traditional soyfoods may not meet every farmer’s tastes, most would be hard-pressed not to find soy in their homes or in the foods they grab on the go. The food industry demands 83 percent of the U.S. soy oil produced each year, and no other use comes close.

“Most of us don’t realize it, but a lot of vegetable oil is really soybean oil – just check the label,” says Jim Stillman, a soybean farmer from Emmetsburg, Iowa, and current vice chair of the United Soybean Board. “Soy oil is found in salad dressings, margarines and even prepared snacks like crackers.”

Soy’s abundance in the United States, coupled with its affordable price, makes it a top contender for food uses. Those uses include frying and baking, and many U.S. food companies use soy or a soy-blended oil in their kitchens.

“I encourage soybean farmers to remember one of the big uses for our beans during Soyfoods Month,” adds Stillman. “It really is amazing the products you see with soy.”