This study analyzed 304 commercial samples of whole soybeans and crude degummed soybean oil to understand the impact of whole soybean origin on the composition and quality of the extracted soybean oil. Samples of U.S. and Brazil origin soybeans were collected from a crushing facility that separately processed soybeans by origin to ensure purity. Samples of crude degummed soybean oil were collected from the production line after the batches of soybeans were processed. Whole soybean crude protein content was not significantly different by origin of the samples. The US soybean samples had lower oil content, moisture, and heat damage (p < 0.01) than the Brazilian samples. The US crude degummed soybean oil samples had higher Lovibond Red color, but lower free fatty acids (FFA), neutral oil loss (NOL) and mineral content (p < 0.01) than the Brazilian samples. Using a causal inference model, we find that origin-specific differences in moisture, oil content, and heat damage significantly affect the composition and quality of the extracted soybean oil considering FFA, NOL, and mineral content. This analysis links whole soybean composition differences by origin to the composition and quality of the extracted soybean oil. These results inform origin-based sourcing and refining strategies.

This work was supported by the United States Soybean Export Council.

Read the full study here.

Flores, I., M. Pope, and T. Doehring. 2025. Influence of Whole Soybean Composition on Extracted Soybean Oil Composition by Origin. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society. 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/aocs.70026