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USDA reviewing high-oleic bean from Pioneer after FDA gives OK

By ANDREA MCCANN
Indiana Correspondent

JOHNSTON, Iowa — The Plenish high-oleic soybean now under review by the USDA will benefit everyone from “farm gate to dinner plate,” as the saying goes.

Farmers should see high yields and a premium on their Plenish soybean crops. Oil processors should see positive demand without having to invest in different equipment. Food companies will have a more stable oil to use. And consumers will reap the benefits of a healthier end product made with Plenish.

Developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a DuPont company, and currently being tested by 14 commercial accounts, including oil processors, food companies and industrial users, Plenish is well on its way to U.S. commercialization in 2010, according to Russ Sanders, director of the Plenish venture.

He said Plenish has about 80 percent oleic oil, compared to 25 percent in commodity soybeans. It’s the highest oleic oil content in any soybean under development, according to a Pioneer news release, and will meet food-industry needs for a soy-based trans fat with superior performance characteristics.

“We’ve lost four million acres (of soybeans) going into the food industry,” Sanders said. “It’s gone to palm oil and canola oil.”
Plenish soybeans should help recoup that loss, he explained, because unstable fatty acids are reduced to less than 3 percent, stable fatty acids are increased threefold and saturated fat is reduced by 20 percent. That’s a plus for health-conscious consumers, but also for the food industry.

Sanders explained one challenge food companies have is keeping their products fresh, because oil can take on a stale taste. Plenish soybean oil will not break down and cause foods to have an “off flavor,” he said. The same holds true with Plenish oil used for frying, Sanders added; it will not break down at high temperatures and take on an odd flavor.

As far as processing goes, he said Plenish beans are processed the same way as other soybean varieties. Processing facilities won’t have to adapt, replace or add to their equipment, but management will need to be a bit tighter, he said, to protect the identity of the Plenish trait.

When processing of Plenish soybeans begins, he said, there must be a “flush margin” at the beginning and the end of the process so the Plenish oil isn’t mixed with other soybean oils.

There are 64 soybean processing facilities in the United States, each with its own micro-geography, Sanders said. As the Plenish trait is developed, Pioneer must determine if there’s a market for it in those areas and make sure it’s suited to those growing conditions.

“We look at it no differently from commodity beans,” he said, explaining that defense traits, such as Sudden Death Syndrome and cyst nematode resistance, are built in genetically since soybeans are impacted by a lot of diseases. “Fitting the right product to the right acre is key.

“Pioneer is first and foremost a seed chain. Farmers are where it all begins.”

Pioneer strives to conceive products that provide quality choices for farmers, according to Sanders, and the Plenish venture is no different.

“We’re still working on commodity beans, but we’re trying to work on improvements to make them more valuable,” he said.
Plenish soybeans, for instance, should produce high yields. “Production economics should be good,” Sanders said. “We think the volume will be quite large. Production data, after three years of testing, shows yield performance that we think is going to be outstanding.”

In addition, growers should earn a premium for the value-added beans.

“The premium is yet to be determined, based on testing,” Sanders continued. “We should be able to tell more about the dollars and cents soon.”

The Plenish approval process began in December 2006 with Pioneer’s regulatory submissions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completed its review in early 2009, and the USDA began its evaluation.

“Plenish has already cleared one important hurdle,” Sanders said, citing FDA approval.

He explained the FDA assessment documents the safety of Plenish from a human-consumption standpoint. The USDA review is looking at the soybean from a plant-safety point of view. Public comment also is sought, Sanders said. “We’re hopeful we’ll have final approval in 2010 to commercialize it,” he said.

But that’s not the end of the process. He said global approval also will be necessary so the product isn’t exported to a country where it has not been approved.

“Canada is ahead of the U.S. with regulatory approval,” Sanders added, noting Plenish was approved in Canada earlier this year.

11/11/2009