The versatility of the soybean has helped bring 45 new products made from soy into the marketplace this year with the help of the soy checkoff.
"These 45 products represent 45 new ways of enhancing the market for our soybeans," says Russ Carpenter, a soy checkoff farmer-leader from Trumansburg, N.Y. "All of the products the checkoff helped develop this year and in past years, including some that we can use on our farms, come together to create a valuable market for our soy."
The checkoff provides funding to manufacturers of industrial and consumer products to research, develop and commercialize new products that contain soy. Partnerships like these have helped bring hundreds of new soy products to the marketplace, dramatically increasing demand for U.S. soy oil in the process.
New soy products add value for farmers, help keep industrial use for U.S. soy sharply on the rise
This year's list includes new additions to some popular soy-based product categories, such as foam, candle wax and elevator fluids. But it also includes products in some completely new categories like paintballs, gel mattress filling and nail-polish remover.
Industrial demand, including biodiesel manufacturing, is on a steep upward trend. In the last 10 years, industrial uses for soy have grown almost fivefold.
Manufacturers use soy oil as a replacement for petrochemicals to make their products more renewable and more environmentally friendly while maintaining performance. Soy products are often contain fewer volatile organic compounds than traditional products.
Click here to browse the checkoff's new Soy Products Guide, an online catalog of the thousands of currently available soy-based products, which also includes ordering information.