VEGETABLE OILS, SEEDS AND MEALS
Soybeans in a supermarket in China. The soybean or soya bean (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and tofu skin are made. Fermented soy foods include soy sauce, fermented bean paste, nattō, and tempeh. Fat-free
(defatted) soybean meal is a significant and cheap source of protein for animal feeds and many packaged meals. For example, soybean products, such as textured vegetable protein (TVP), are ingredients in many types of meat and dairy substitutes.
Soybeans contain significant amounts of phytic acid, dietary minerals, and B vitamins. Soy vegetable oil, used in the food and industrial applications, is another product of processing the soybean crop. Soybean is the most important protein source for feed farm animals (that in turn yields animal protein for human consumption)
The US, which produces around a third of the global supply of soybeans, is the number one producer of soybeans worldwide and produces around 120 million metric tons each year. Brazil comes in at a close second-place, producing around 110 million metric tons each year; and Argentina is third, with around 60 million metric tons produced each year. The US, which produces around a third of the global supply of soybeans, is the number one producer of soybeans worldwide and produces around 200 million metric tons each year. Brazil comes in at a close second-place, producing around 110 million metric tons each year; and Argentina is third, with around 60 million metric tons produced each year.
Five Things You Might Not Know about Soybeans
Soy is a common source of protein and appears in tofu, as well as an ingredient in many different types of food, such as salad dressing, chocolate, and baked goods.
Soy comes from soybeans – a crop grown by farmers throughout the United States – in states such as Ohio, Illinois, and Minnesota as well as Canada. We like to dig into the information behind how our food is grown and many of us want to know if our food is sustainably grown, so we found these interesting facts about soy and soybeans.
1. Soybeans create some of their own fertilizer.
Soybeans are in a class of plants called legumes which have the unique ability to use nitrogen that is in the air. Microorganisms that live on the soybean roots convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that the plant can use. In turn, the plant feeds the microorganism. When the plant decays, the nitrogen that has been pulled from the air is released into the soil. Growing soybeans in a field can add 30 to 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre into the soil.
2. Every part of the soybean is used in some way.
After farmers harvest the beans from the field, they are processed, where the bean is separated into two parts. Most of the bean is a meal, which contains protein, and is used in food products or feed for animals, such as chickens, pigs, and cows.
The other portion of the bean is oil, some of which is used as cooking oil, which is commonly labeled vegetable oil. It is also used in many different products –machine oil, paint, candles, beauty supplies, and even crayons.
3. Soybeans are renewable fuels.
Soybeans are used to make a renewable fuel known as biodiesel. Compared to petroleum-based diesel, biodiesel produces fewer air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrocarbons.
Biodiesel is considered to be carbon-neutral because soybean plants absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, which offsets the carbon that forms while making and burning biodiesel.
Any diesel vehicle can use biodiesel or a blend of biodiesel and petroleum diesel. More than 9 billion gallons of biodiesel are used worldwide each year.
4. Soybeans can replace petroleum in common products.
The oil from soybeans is chemically similar to petroleum and many manufacturers are using soy oil in their products because it is a more sustainable option. Soybean oil is used in tires, creating a tire that is more flexible in cold weather. Soybeans are used in flooring products to create Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings that meet environmental targets. It’s also used to make environmentally safe cleaning products.
5. Soybean farmers are growing more using less natural resources.
Scientists and farmers have worked together to make raising soybeans sustainable for the environment. They have adopted practices to be more efficient, so food can be grown using less land, energy, and water. From 1980 to 2015, farmers cut their energy use by 35 percent and invested in soil conservation to preserve land. By using technology, such as GPS and seeds that require fewer pesticides, farmers reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent during that same period.
Soybeans are a versatile crop that helps create environmentally friendly products. Growers continue to look for ways to make the crop even more sustainable.
Sunflower oil is the non-volatile oil pressed from the seeds of sunflower (Helianthus annuus). Sunflower oil is commonly used in food as a frying oil, and in cosmetic formulations as an emollient. The world's total production of sunflower oil in 2014 was nearly 16 million tonnes, with Ukraine, Russia, and Argentina as the largest producers.
Sunflower oil is primarily composed of linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fat, and oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat. Through selective breeding and manufacturing processes, oils of differing proportions of the fatty acids are produced.[2] The expressed oil has a light amber color with a mild flavor. The oil contains a rich content of vitamin E.
Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the soybean (Glycine max). It is one of the most widely consumed cooking oils. As a drying oil, processed soybean oil is also used as a base for printing inks (soy ink) and oil paints.
Palm oil is a form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the oil palm tree. Previously the second-most widely produced edible oil, after soybean oil, 28 million tonnes were produced worldwide in 2018. It may have now surpassed soybean oil as the most widely produced vegetable oil in the world. It is also an important component of many soaps, washing powders and personal care products, is used to treat wounds, and has controversially found a new use as a feedstock for biofuel.
Corn oil is the oil extracted from the germ of corn (maize). Its main use is in cooking, where its high smoke point makes it a valuable frying oil. It is also a key ingredient in some kinds of margarine. Corn oil has a milder taste and is less expensive than most other types of vegetable oils. It can also be used to power cars.
One bushel of corn contains 1.55 pounds of corn oil (2.8% by weight). Corn agronomists have developed high-oil varieties, however, these varieties tend to show lower field yields, so they are not universally accepted by growers. Refined corn oil is 99% triglyceride, with proportions of approximately 59% polyunsaturated fatty acid, 24% monounsaturated fatty acid, and 13% saturated fatty acid.
Fish meal is a commercial product mostly made from fish that are not used for human consumption; fishmeal is generally used to feed farm animals in agricultural setting. Because it is calorically dense and cheap to produce, fishmeal has played a critical role in the growth of factory farms and the number of farm animals it is possible to breed and feed.
Fishmeal is made from the bones and offal left over from fish caught by commercial fisheries. The vast majority of the fish from which fishmeal is manufactured are not used for human consumption; rather, fishmeal is generally manufactured from by-catch.
Soybean meal is the most important protein source used to feed farm animals. It represents two-thirds of the total world output of protein feedstuffs, including all other major oil meals and fish meal. Its feeding value is unsurpassed by any other plant protein source and it is the standard to which other protein sources are compared. While it has been an accepted part of livestock and poultry diets in the USA since the mid-1930s), soybean feed production took off in the mid-1970s and then accelerated in the early 1990s due to a growing demand from developing countries. The expansion of aquaculture and prohibitions on the feed use of slaughterhouse by-products have also fueled the demand for this high-quality source of protein.
Sunflower meal is byproduct of crushing sunflower seed for oil. The nutrient content of SFM varies with the type of processing used for extracting the oil. Solvent extracted SFM has higher concentrations of protein and lower concentrations of oil and fiber compared with mechanical extracted SFM. Dehulled SFM will have slightly higher protein concentrations and less fiber. The protein in SFM is more soluble than SBM (34 vs 17% of N, respectively), but processes such as extrusion decreases solubility. Without processing to reduce solubility greater proportions of the dietary nitrogen provided by SFM is degraded by the ruminal microorganisms. Microbial protein synthesis is improved with SFM compared with blood meal or corn gluten meal so that total flow of nitrogen to the duodenum is similar. The lysine content of SFM is lower than that provided by SBM, CSM, or CM which could limit the potential milk yield response in very high producing lactating cows.
Sunflower seed is the fruit of the sunflower (Helianthus annuus). There are three types of commonly used sunflower seeds: linoleic (most common), high oleic, and sunflower oil seeds. Each variety has its own unique levels of monounsaturated, saturated, and polyunsaturated fats. The information in this article refers mainly to the linoleic variety.
For commercial purposes, sunflower seeds are usually classified by the pattern on their husks. If the husk is solid black, the seeds are called black oil sunflower seeds. The crops may be referred to as oilseed sunflower crops. These seeds are usually pressed to extract their oil. Striped sunflower seeds are primarily used for food; as a result, they may be called confectionery sunflower seeds.
The term "sunflower seed" is actually a misnomer when applied to the seed in its pericarp (hull). Botanically speaking, it is a cypsela. When dehulled, the edible remainder is called the sunflower kernel or heart.
Sesame seed Sesame is a flowering plant with edible seeds that grow in pods. The seeds have some of the highest oil content of any other seed and are used in several different cuisines around the world. In addition to the seeds themselves, Chinese recipes also feature the seeds after they have been toasted and blended into a paste as well as made into an oil.
Sesame paste is made by pulverizing toasted sesame seeds; toasting sesame seeds to make sesame paste is a time-honored culinary technique, giving the paste a different flavor than Mediterranean tahini, which is made from untoasted seeds.
White and black varieties of sesame seeds are available. The white has a delicate flavor and can be used in all dishes calling for sesame seeds. The black seeds have a richer flavor and stronger aroma and are best used alongside other bold ingredients so as not to overwhelm the dish. However, the choice of black vs. white sesame seeds is usually for the appearance more than the difference in flavor. White and black varieties of sesame seed are available. The white has a delicate flavor and can be used in all dishes calling for sesame seeds. The black seeds have a richer flavor and stronger aroma and are best used alongside other bold ingredients so as not to overwhelm the dish. However, the choice of black vs. white sesame seeds is usually for the appearance more than the difference in flavor.