Soy is a plant belonging to the Legume family. This food crop originated in Asia and gradually spread across the globe.
Almost all existing soybean varieties are climbing perennial plants. But for eating the soya beans are grown.
The seeds of soya beans are called soybeans. The soybeans are a popular and internationally known food product. The soybean is rightly called a «miracle plant» for an incredibly high yield and nutritional value. And this title is well-earned, while the amount of vegetable protein in each soybean seed is almost half of its total mass. For this reason, the soybeans began to be used as an affordable meat alternative.
The nutritional value of soybean is determined by a combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. This type of beans contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, of which the linoleic acid is the most important (it is not synthesized by the human’s body, but plays an important role in it, thereupon it is necessary to get it from food). The soybean seeds contain isoflavones, which is a great rarity. These compounds are glycosides that are not destroyed even by cooking.
Soya expeller is a product obtained from the processing of soybeans.
A distinction is made between full-fat and semi-skimmed (the residual oilness is 6-14%) expeller:
It is used for the preparation of complete animal feed and feed mixtures as a high-quality protein ingredient when feeding farm animals and birds, as well as it can be used as an independent feed.
The soybean expeller has drawn attention due to the high protein content in the seeds of soya beans. Moreover, the protein contained in the seeds has a high bioavailability and digestibility, which makes it indispensable for livestock producers. In addition to high-quality protein, the soybean expeller contains the following microelements: calcium, iron, phosphorus, manganese and zinc.
Soybean oil
In the global manufacturing of vegetable oils, the soybean oil occupies a leading position. It is used for food in refined deodorized form. The soybean oil is used not only in the food industry, but also it is widely used in the household. With the use of it, the salads are made; the dishes made of vegetables, meat, fish etc. can be fried on it as if it was any other vegetable oil. The high temperature of the beginning of smoke formation of soybean oil allows to use it for the production of chips, as a grease for frying, where a high temperature conditions and long shelf life of the end product are required.
