20 Interesting Facts About America’s Soybeans

While modern technology has expanded the use of soybean components to a great number of non-food related products such as pharmaceuticals, auto parts, and low-VOC paints, food producers continue to find more uses for this most environmentally friendly and renewable resource. Meanwhile, industrial operators use soy-based lubricants because they withstand higher temperatures than petroleum-based oils.

20 Interesting Facts About Soybeans

1. Today, American farmers use 84.7 million acres of U.S. farmland to grow soybeans.
2. Soybeans contain all 8 amino acids, all of which are essential for human nutrition.
3. The soybean has been around for centuries. The Iowa State University Department of Agronomy notes that Chinese farmers in the northeast region first domesticated and used the soybean around the 11th century BC.
4. Soybeans were first brought to the United States from China by Samuel Bowen in 1765.
5. The United States leads the world in soybean production at approximately 32% of the total global output. China is ranked fourth.
6. French scientist Maurice Gobley first discovered lecithin—a key nutritional component now extracted from soy oil—in 1850. He named it “lekythos” a Greek translation for egg yolks.
7. Soy lecithin contains choline, essential to all living cells and is, in fact, a component of live cell structures.
8. Soy oil is the basis for low-VOC (volatile organic compound) BioStripe^® Striping Paints used in parking lots and paved roads. Because BioStripe® eliminates harmful emissions and biodegrades safely, universities, public park systems, and other eco-conscious organizations adopt it to line and stripe parking lots, pathways, and roads.
9. Soybeans are 18% oil and 38% protein.
10. Most baked breads, cookies, crackers, pies and cakes contain soy oil.
11. Soy oil can be converted to biodiesel fuel with a process called “transesterification”. As a result, this eco-friendly fuel has proven to burn cleaner than traditional petroleum-based fuels.
12. Manufacturers combine soybeans and newspaper to produce renewable building materials called biocomposites. The construction industry frequently utilizes soybean-based products for fuel, insulation, and other building supplies.
13. Textile manufacturers integrate soy products into carpet fabrication, furniture coverings, and auto upholstery.
14. Soy oil can be a cleansing agent as well. Soybean oil releases a solvent that response teams use to clean oil from shorelines after major spills. Therefore, manufacturers also blend these powerful solvents into many heavy-duty industrial cleaners.
15. One acre of soybeans converts to 40,000 servings of tofu or 2,500 gallons of soy milk.
16. Industrial operators use soy-based lubricants because they withstand higher temperatures than petroleum-based oils.
17. The National Park Service operates the elevator system in the Statue of Liberty using a biodegradable, soy-based hydraulic fluid.
18. Soy crayons are non-toxic and safer for children.
19. The automotive industry is implementing the use of eco-friendly, soy-based body parts and lubricants to go along with upholstery and carpets.
20. Soy foams are employed in refrigeration, insulation and even shoes.

Derived from natural soybean oil, BioStripe^® traffic paint and BioSealcoat^® asphalt sealer help support farmers and have earned recognition from a variety of soybean councils and associations. Contact us to learn more!

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