USDA Approves New High-Oleic Soybean for Cultivation

The Plenish high oleic soybean trait has been approved by the USDA for cultivation in the United States, says Qualisoy, a soy industry cooperative group, and Pioneer Hi-Bred, a developer/supplier of advanced plant genetics that is a unit of DuPont. This represents the final step of the U.S. regulatory process.

Plenish high oleic soybeans from Pioneer contain a high oleic acid content of more than 75 percent. This significantly increases the stability of the oil, provides greater flexibility in food applications, and yields a product with 0g trans fat. It also has 20 percent less saturated fat than commodity soybean oil, making it a more attractive ingredient for consumer food products.

"Food companies can now look forward to a soy-based trans fat solution that is not only more stable, but has less saturated fat than commodity soybeans," says Qualisoy CEO John Becherer. "And, soybean farmers can now take another step toward growing crops that are evolving along with the needs of their customers. Qualisoy eagerly anticipates helping to educate both food companies and farmers about the benefits of Plenish high oleic soybeans."