QUALISOY™, a collaboration among the soybean industry to bring healthier, more functional products to the marketplace, recognizes Kellogg Company's leadership role to become one of the first food manufacturers to use low-linolenic soybean oil to reduce or eliminate trans fatty acids in a number of its products.

Nearly 90 percent of consumers remain somewhat or very concerned about the nutritional content of food, according to United Soybean Board's 2005-2006 Consumer Attitudes About Nutrition survey.  Effective January 1, 2006 the Food and Drug Administration will require food manufacturers to include trans fats on the Nutrition Facts panel. Products containing 0.5 grams or more of trans fats will be subject to mandatory labeling.

Several low-linolenic soybean oil options are available to the marketplace, providing the food industry solutions to partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Low-linolenic soybeans that currently meet QUALISOY quality standards include a VISTIVE™ offering from Monsanto; Pioneer® brand low-linolenic soybeans; and Asoyia™ ultra low-linolenic soybeans. The resulting oils include Advantage LL brand soy oil processed by Cargill; VISTIVE low-linolenic soy oil processed by Ag Processing, Cenex Harvest States and Zeeland Farms; NUTRIUM™ brand soy oil, developed in partnership by Bunge and DuPont; and Asoyia ultra low-lin soybean oil. In the coming years, it is estimated that additional soybean varieties will be widely available to meet food industry and consumer needs.

The breakthrough of low-linolenic soybean oil will benefit the food industry and could add an estimated $100 million per year to the value of soybean commodities. By late 2006, approximately 400 million pounds of low-linolenic oil could be available to the food industry, according to QUALISOY.

QUALISOY is a collaborative effort among the soybean industry to help market soybeans that result in healthier oils, reduce the environmental impacts of livestock production through improved soybean meal, and improve the global competitiveness of the U.S. soybean industry. A diverse 22-member QUALISOY Board of Directors sets research priorities, evaluates existing and emerging technologies, and determines which traits, products and processes will be eligible to carry the QUALISOY name.