What You Need to Know About High Oleic Soybeans

If you’ve heard the term “high oleic soybeans” and wondered what it means, you’re not alone. The name can sound a little confusing, especially when you hear that these soybeans are used to produce an oil with a higher amount of fat.

But “high oleic” isn’t a claim that the soybean is higher in total fat. Instead, it describes the type of fat found in the oil. High oleic soybeans are varieties that produce oil with a higher concentration of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat.

So, what makes these soybeans different from other varieties, and where are they used?

What Does “High Oleic” Mean?

To understand high oleic soybeans, it helps to start with the oil inside the soybean.

Soybean oil naturally contains several types of fatty acids. High oleic soybean varieties are bred to produce oil with more oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, and a different overall fatty acid profile than conventional soybean oil.

This different fatty acid profile changes how the oil behaves. In particular, high oleic soybean oil is more stable when exposed to heat and oxygen.

That stability is one reason high oleic soybean oil can be used in applications such as cooking, frying and food production.

For a closer look at high oleic soybeans, including how they are grown, used and marketed, check out the United Soybean Board’s High Oleic Soybeans issue brief.

How Are High Oleic Soybeans Different?

High oleic soybeans are still soybeans. Farmers grow them in fields much like other soybean varieties, and the plants go through the same basic growing cycle.

The difference is in the traits the soybean has been bred to have.

Farmers choose soybean varieties based on factors such as their growing environment, maturity, yield potential and the needs of the market. High oleic varieties are selected for their ability to produce beans with an oil profile that contains more oleic acid.

Because high oleic soybeans are often grown for specific markets, farmers may also have additional requirements for handling and keeping the crop separated after harvest.

What Is High Oleic Soybean Oil Used For?

Once soybeans are processed, the oil can be used in a variety of ways.

The higher oleic acid content gives high oleic soybean oil greater oxidative stability than conventional soybean oil. In practical terms, that means the oil can hold up better under heat and can have a longer shelf life.

These characteristics make it useful for things like:

• Cooking and frying

• Baking

• Food manufacturing

• Other applications where oil stability is important

What About GMO High Oleic Soybeans?

Another question that can come up when talking about high oleic soybeans is whether they are GMO.

The terms describe two different things.

High oleic refers to the oil's fatty acid profile. GMO refers to how a crop was developed.

Some high oleic soybean varieties have been developed using biotechnology, while other high oleic varieties have been developed through conventional breeding methods. So, being high oleic does not automatically mean a soybean is GMO.

This is an important distinction because the terms describe different characteristics of the crop.

Why Are Farmers Growing High Oleic Soybeans?

As food and agriculture continue to evolve, farmers grow different soybean varieties to meet different needs.

High oleic soybeans are one example. Their unique oil profile gives processors another type of soybean oil to work with, while the whole beans can also be used as a feed ingredient.

For farmers, growing a particular variety can come down to a combination of agronomic performance, available markets and what works best for their operation.

One Soybean, Many Uses

High oleic soybeans may have a complicated-sounding name, but the basic idea is fairly simple: they are soybeans bred to produce oil with more oleic acid.

That difference in fatty acid composition affects the way the oil performs, particularly its stability when exposed to heat and oxygen.

And the story doesn't end with the oil. The whole soybean can also be used in animal feed, showing how one crop can have applications throughout agriculture.

So the next time you hear the term “high oleic soybean,” think less about the word “high” and more about what is actually being described: the type of fatty acids in the soybean oil.