By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com
Cargill says it has developed soybean oil made from identity-preserved (IdP), non-GMO soybeans. The oil will be refined at its Des Moines, Iowa, plant. Cargill states that the Des Moines location was chosen because it is considered to be the most cost-efficient refinery.
Cargill says that it is currently obtaining its soybean from growers in Iowa and Illinois. Supplies of its non-GMO soybean oil will be offered (in limited supplies) to interested customers beginning in September. Company spokesperson, Ethan Thei, food ingredients commercial manager, says the number of producers that it will work with in the future relies on demand for the product.
According to Cargill, one food manufacture has already secured a significant portion of its available 2014 soybean oil supply. Producing non-GMO soybean oil requires a rigorous process, from the production level (growing the soybeans), to putting a system in place to avoid contamination with bioengineered crops during harvesting, transportation, storage, handling, processing, refining and marketing.