Soya: processing and industrial aspects

With global production of 155 million tonnes in 1999-2000, soybeans dominate and will continue to dominate the global vegetable oil and protein market, accounting for over 50% of global oilseed production by weight. As an oilseed crop, soy is a raw material of choice for a multitude of industries that use the whole soybean, its protein component or the oil. In Asia, soy is used in the preparation of several varieties of food products, while in the United States and Europe, it is mainly used for oil and meal.

There are hundreds of soybean varieties in the world, but only a few dozen are grown commercially. Soya is grown on a large scale in the United States, Brazil, Argentina and China.

By crushing, the beans are transformed into soybean oil and flour for human consumption, or into meal for animal feed. More than 130 million tonnes of soybeans are crushed worldwide every year. As with every process for extracting oil from oilseeds, three main stages are essential in soybean crushing: crushing, cooking and separation (pressing and/or extraction).

This article describes the chemical characteristics of soybeans, their cultivation, harvesting and transportation. It then describes the various stages in the crushing process and the finished products, i.e. crude soybean oil and soybean meal.