Soy Canada partners with Canadian Grain Commission on Soy Quality Program

Ottawa, ON – Beginning this fall, the Canadian Soy Quality Program, a comprehensive food-grade soybean testing and analysis program that is used by customers of Canadian soybeans all over the world, will now be delivered by the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC).

Coordinated by Soy Canada, the program provides independent, third-party data on the quality of Canadian food-grade soybeans. Results from the Soy Quality program support the soy value chain by helping international buyers understand the quality of Canadian food-grade soybeans.

“We’re confident the Canadian Grain Commission will continue the proud Canadian tradition of measuring soy quality, with it’s strong reputation for grain quality research,” says Brian Innes, executive director of Soy Canada. “We recognize the storied legacy of the soy quality program that began at AAFC’s research centre in Harrow, Ontario and we’re committed to continuing to provide our customers trusted information on how our varieties will perform in their soy food manufacturing facilities.”

To maintain consistency and ensure the scientific integrity of the data year over year, the same methodologies used at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s Harrow Research and Development Centre will continue to be applied. After extensive discussions, Soy Canada selected the CGC as the new partner to take over the program from AAFC Harrow. Innes notes that the CGC and AAFC Harrow have worked together to ensure continuity and a seamless transition.

“We’re honoured to continue the internationally recognized work started at AAFC’s Harrow Research and Development Center here in the Canadian Grain Commission’s own world-class Grain Research Laboratory,” says Dr. Ning Wang, research scientist and program manager for pulses who will be leading the CGC’s Soy Quality program technical team. “The CGC has a long track record of supporting Canada’s food grade soybean sector through our Canadian Identity Preserved Recognition System, making us an excellent fit to deliver the Soy Quality Program in partnership with Soy Canada.” 

The program consists of two primary testing components that will see more than 2,000 soybean samples submitted for testing for the 2024 crop year. The Food-Grade Variety testing provides compositional analysis for food-grade soybean varieties in trials across Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. The Soyfood Performance Testing evaluates the functional properties of soy products like tofu and soy milk. Both seed developers and exporters utilize the program to have credible information about the varieties they develop and market.

The program is jointly delivered by Soy Canada and the CGC, and is supported by Producteurs de Grains du Quebec, Grain Farmers of Ontario and the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers.

Soy Canada is a national value-chain organization for the soybean sector, including seed companies, Canada’s 30,000 growers, exporters, and processors. Created in 2014, Soy Canada leads the sector’s efforts on market access and market development, provides industry leadership on issues affecting the growth and profitability of the soybean sector and coordinates research efforts across the value chain and across the country.