Ambient Processing and Nutritional Assessment of Reduced-Trypsin-Inhibitor & Low Oligosaccharide Soybean Products

The current state of the art of soybean processing requires heat processing to eliminate anti-nutrition factors and make the protein available for digestion. The proposed research will investigate the opportunity to process a new soybean variety that has been traditionally bred (not genetically modified) to eliminate and/or significantly reduce these anti-nutrition factors. This research will investigate applying new and new-to-this-use, simpler, ambient or cool, less energy intensive processing in combination with these new soybean varieties to create feeds and feed ingredients with improved protein quality. Applying ambient processing technologies to these soybeans to deliver the next generation of soybean food ingredients and/or feed components is a key step in realizing the full commercial benefit of this material. Proof of concept work has been conducted in various university labs using bench-top processes (Herkelman, 1992) that must be validated with research and development using small pilot-plant and commercial scale processes. In this Phase II project we will again use small-scale processing to further the validation of the concept with the next generation of low trypsin inhibitor soybean and reduced oligosaccharide soybean. We will complete digestibility studies on the second generation RTI soybean in poultry and swine and with reduced oligosaccharides (ROS) soybeans in poultry. This will be followed by controlled, lab-scale feeding trials in swine and poultry research facilities at collaborating universities to validate the acceptability of ambient processed soybeans in monogastric diets. Then, in year two, we?ll scale up to pre-commercial feeding trials with livestock feeders as larger quantities of these soybeans become available ? to demonstrate commercial viability in preparation for commercial rollout in 2012-13. This will scale up to truckload quantities and allow validation of both commercial processing and feed efficacy. In summary, this research and development will demonstrate and validate the combined benefits of reduced trypsin inhibitor (RTI) soybeans, low oligosaccharide (LOS) soybeans, and ambient, non-thermal temperature processing to create a new generation of soy ingredients for feed (and possible future food) use by means that require less energy use than conventional soy products.