Biotech Updates

Low-fat Soybean Up for Approval

September 9, 2011

Monsanto Co. is seeking U.S. government's approval for genetically modified soybean that will produce oil lower in saturated fat, offering consumers a healthier substitute to foods with trans fats and at the same time increasing the demands for grower's crops.

Demand for soybean oil has dropped since 2005, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration started requiring labels to list levels of trans fats because of its relation with coronary heart disease. U.S. FDA have approved the new bean labeled as Vistive Gold early this year, and they are now seeking approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"We believe because of the trans-fat labeling, 4.6 billion pounds of edible soybean oil was not used for food over a three-year period," said Bob Callanan, a spokesman for the American Soybean Association. The oil was turned into biodiesel instead, and farmers got less money for their soybeans, he said.

Read more at http://www.foodmanufacturing.com/scripts/ShowPR~RID~22434.asp.