Soybean meal is a major source of protein used by the poultry and ruminant animals industries in the world. Soybean meal is obtained by grinding the soybeans remaining after removing the oil from beans by the solvent extraction process. Widely available, actively traded, highly palatable and rich in essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine and threonine, solvent extracted soybean meal represents the gold standard for vegetable protein ingredients. On the other hand, highly digestible for ruminants and poultry, the amino acids in soybean meal complement other ingredients to make a balanced diet for all livestock. Because it’s an excellent source of rumen degradable protein, soybean meal allows rumen microbes to produce maximum levels of high quality microbial protein in ruminant animals. A good source of amino acids, soybean meal also functions as a widely accepted alternative to fishmeal in aquaculture diets. Because soybean meal is the principal source of protein for the feed industry worldwide, it has become an ingredient that is strategically traded around the globe every day of the year. Feed manufacturers use soybean meal as the standard against which other protein sources are compared. Soybean meal has also become the protein source that determines the price of proteins for livestock feeding.
