St. Louis, Missouri
July 27, 2006
Monsanto Company and
Perdue Incorporated
announced today that Perdue's Grain & Oilseed Division will
process Monsanto's VISTIVE™ low-linolenic soybeans in 2007 at
its facility in Salisbury, Maryland, and will market VISTIVE
soybean oil for use by the food industry. VISTIVE low-linolenic
soybeans reduce the need for partial hydrogenation of soybean
oil, helping food companies reduce or eliminate the presence of
trans fatty acids (trans fats) in their products.
For the 2007 growing season,
Perdue will contract with growers in Maryland and Delaware,
targeting 30,000 acres of VISTIVE soybean production. Perdue
will pay a premium to producers who grow VISTIVE soybeans under
contract, then will crush and sell the processed soybean oil to
food companies.
VISTIVE soybeans, developed
through conventional breeding, contain less than three percent
linolenic acid as compared to the typical eight percent level
found in traditional soybeans. The result is more stable soybean
oil, with less need for hydrogenation. Because soybeans with a
lower linolenic acid level reduce the need for partial
hydrogenation, their application in processed soybean oils will
reduce the presence of trans fats in processed soybean oil.
"Food companies are very
interested in reducing trans fats, so we are expanding acreage
and geography of VISTIVE soybeans to make them more available to
food companies. We are very pleased to work with Perdue to make
oil from VISTIVE soybeans available to food company facilities
on the East Coast," said Ernesto Fajardo, Vice President of U.S.
Crop Production for Monsanto.
"VISTIVE not only supports
growing consumer demand for healthier foods, but also represents
an important investment in the future success of the U.S.
soybean industry. In addition, this agreement expands the
growing area for VISTIVE, giving more farmers the opportunity to
grow this value-added soybean," Fajardo said.
Perdue Incorporated Chairman Jim Perdue said, "Perdue is excited
about the opportunity VISTIVE brings to both soybean growers on
the Eastern Shore and our food company customers who are seeking
to lower the trans fat content of their products. Adding value
to growers' crops and offering solutions to customers is good
news for agriculture."
The development of VISTIVE
low-linolenic soybeans is significant because, as of Jan. 1,
2006, all food products and dietary supplements bearing a
nutritional facts panel that are regulated by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration and sold in the United States were required
to list trans fat content. Kellogg Company, for instance,
announced in December that it is using oil from VISTIVE
low-linolenic soybeans as part of a major initiative to reduce
or eliminate trans fats in a number of its products.
Monsanto is expanding acreage
production in 2007 to include Ohio and Maryland, as well as
Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Nebraska, where these
soybeans are currently being grown. VISTIVE soybeans have the
Roundup Ready® trait and maintain performance parity with other
commercial soybean varieties. For 2007, VISTIVE will be
available in Monsanto's Asgrow® brand as well as Campbell Seed,
CROPLAN Genetics®, Crow's, Dyna-Gro® Seed, FS HiSOY® and Vigoro®
Seeds. VISTIVE low-linolenic soybeans are available in an
additional 21 seed brands primarily sold in areas west of
Maryland and Delaware. For a complete list of available seed
brands, visit www.monsanto.com.
Specific information regarding
grower opportunities and contract details will be available from
Perdue in the near future.
PERDUE® is the #1 brand of
fresh chicken in the Eastern United States. Ranked third in
sales in the poultry industry, Perdue Incorporated is a leading
international food and agriculture business providing quality
products and services to customers in more than 40 countries.
Monsanto Company is a
leading global provider of technology-based solutions and
agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food
quality.
Asgrow®, Roundup Ready®,
VISTIVE™and Crow's®, are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC
or of a Monsanto affiliated company. All other trademarks are
the property of their respective owners. ©2006 Monsanto Company. |