Farm News, IA
10-05-07
Group sees trans fat laws as new opportunity for growth
By KRISS NELSON, Farm News staff writer
When the Food and Drug Administration first announced in 2003 the trans fat
labeling law, it sparked a group of farmers to form a company that specializes in
marketing ultra low linolenic soybean seed.
Asoyia, LLC of Iowa City was formed back in 2004 by a group of 25 southeastern
Iowa farmers and in that same year their first product acres were grown and they
started crushing soybeans that fall.
Brett Maxwell, vice president of operations at Asoyia, LLC said the group that
formed the company were already familiar with specialty soybean production and
saw the trans fat laws as an opportunity and they have seen growth with their
company ever since.
Asoyia, LLC markets high yielding one-percent ultra low-lin soybean varieties to
growers and pays, what the company claims to be, the highest premiums in the
market at $.60 minimum up to $.70 maximum on their Roundup Ready varieties
and $1.00 minimum up to $1.40 maximum for their non-GMO varieties. The
premium builder he said is based on pricing points they use within the market.
According to Asoyia, LLC one-percent ultra low-lin soybean oil is fast becoming
one of the more critical ingredients in packaged foods, particularly those that
require significant amounts of processed oil such as potato chips, baby foods
and snack crackers. The oil is also used in household recipes for frying, mixing,
blending and spray drying. Today, most colleges, hospitals and national and
regional restaurant chains throughout the country are using it in food preparation
due to its healthier characteristics, also because it extends fryer life and offers
the customer a cleaner lighter taste experience.
Maxwell said their one-percent ultra low-lin soybean seed product line is based
on the 30 years of research by Dr. Walt Fehr, an Iowa State University
distinguished professor of agriculture and his research team. They have
developed one-percent ultra low-lin genetics with improved seed emergence,
disease resistance and excellent standability in a high yielding one-percent ultra
low-lin soybean.
Trans fats, Maxwell said come during the hydrogenation process of the soybean
oil and with the one-percent ultra low-lin soybeans marketed by Asoyia, LLC they
produce oil that requires no hydrogenation which naturally makes zero trans fat
oil.
Asoyia, LLC was grown in 31,000 acres this year and Maxwell said they are
looking to dramatically expand in 2008. It is not that difficult to grow the specialty
bean, Maxwell added.
“They need to follow a very good identity preserve protocol,” said Maxwell. “It’s
not that difficult.”
Asoyia, LLC is an on-farm storage program that offers a flexibility of delivery
times where the grower harvests, and stores the soybeans then chooses the
month(s) for delivery.
Asoyia, LLC has an established toll processing partnership with Cargill, Inc and
work hand in hand with three major plants in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and
Bloomington, Ill. For those growers that live outside of a 50-mile radius of these
Cargill plants, the company offers freight allowances, but you are responsible for
delivery.
Later last month, Asoyia, LLC unveiled the Asoyia Mid Oleic Ultra Low Linolenic
soybean seed, Asoyia-MO-variety and a new seed partnership with Merschman
Seeds.
According to Asoyia, LLC the new line of Asoyia-MO will produce soybean oil
with moderate oleic acid and ultra low linolenic acid to create an oil with superior
frying stability and, more importantly, zero trans fats. Asoyia will offer 12 AsoyiaMO varieties to soybean producers along with 11 non-GMO and 12 Roundup
Ready soybean varieties for their 2008 growing season.
“The expansion of our product line is an example of our ongoing efforts to answer
the needs of today’s consumer. Ever since trans fat oils have been proven to be
a leading cause of heart disease, heath food advocates have set the bar for food
processors to provide zero trans fat ingredients. Asoyia’s soybean is processed
into one-percent ultra low-lin soybean oil and is just that,” Maxwell said.
“Asoyia has been the leading-edge developer of one-percent ultra low-lin
soybeans and will increase soybean acres grown through our new distribution
channels to keep pace with our zero trans fat oil demands.”
According to Asoyia, LLC, most recently they have expanded their distribution
channels with seed partner Merschman Seeds, Inc and ag retail distribution
outlets Heartland Co-op, Cargill AgHorizons and many more.
Asoyia, LLC is based out of Iowa City and is made up of a six-person staff.
Maxwell said they are a grassroots company that focuses on rural values and
also focuses on the tremendous market there is for their oil.
Kriss Nelson can be reached by e-mail at jknelson@frontiernet.net.