The Right Energy at the Right Time
One of our Dynamite distributors recently pointed us to an article about the common use and processing of soy protein. The common processing of soybeans to make soy protein [isolate] includes extracting the oil, removing the fiber, mixing it with hydrochloric acid and centrifuging it to remove the carbohydrates. The result: a thick, yellow, foamy slurry that has an aroma comparable to a feedlot. This slurry is then neutralized with sodium hydroxide and spray dried. The flavor of the end product, as you could imagine, is less than desirable, so flavorings are added to disguise the odor.
At first glance it would seem implausible that Dynamite would ever consider using soy protein in any of its products. However, the above is only speaking of the “common” processing of soy. Dynamite products are certainly anything but common, and neither are our ingredients or the way we do things.
We’d like to share with you an article written by Dynamite’s founder Jim Zamzow. “When is a Soybean Not a Soybean?” explains first hand how our soy protein isn’t your common, everyday soy protein.
When is a Soybean Not a Soybean?
by Jim Zamzow
In the field, you may encounter negative input about soybean meal in feeds or supplements. As is often the case with Dynamite products, our advanced technology is not always apparent on our labels. There is a vast difference between the soybean meal that we use and the majority of the meals on the market.
When formulating a feed, one of the most critical components is the amino acid profile, i.e. the protein components of the feed. If any of the essential amino acids are left out or if they are too far out of balance, health problems in the animals consuming the feed are inevitable.
One of the finest sources of proteins with an excellent array of amino acids is the whole soybean, as long as this bean is processed correctly and is balanced with other quality ingredients. Note: I said processed correctly. Let me give you some history—when I was a lad learning the feed business, I got all of the jobs low on the totem pole. One of them was shoveling the ingredients around in the silos as they got full, so we could get more in. I used to love doing this in the soybean bin because the meal was a rich, dustless granule, with a nutty-like aroma.
Then, one day we received a rail car of soybean meal that repulsed me. It was dusty and had a rancid smell as though it were spoiled. I immediately stopped unloading, went to my boss, and we called the soybean broker and this is what we found out: In the past we had been receiving a soybean meal that had been processed using the expeller method. This process crushes the bean then runs it through a centrifuge to remove the oil, leaving a meal that is approximately 40% rich in protein, with a 4% residual fat, and most of the lecithin (choline and inositol, etc.) intact. In order to recover the extra 4% fat, a new method was devised called the solvent extraction process. This method grinds the bean then soaks it in petroleum distillate (solvents), thus removing the oil and lecithin nearly 100%, leaving a 44% protein meal with no fat and no lecithin. That is what they had shipped to us that day. I think the rancid smell was actually the residual of the solvent left in the meal.
Since some 95% of the soybean meal on the market is now solvent extracted, it’s a good bet that is what goes in our competitor’s feeds. Who knows what petroleum solvents do in an animal’s body, but I can guarantee an animal won’t eat it unless it’s hidden by the flavoring agents.
Now, let me tell you the good news. Years ago we located an organic soybean farmer* who raises and processes his own beans using no chemicals in his growing or processing. The beans are actually forced with high pressure through small holes and the result is a beautiful, golden meal that is 38% protein and 16% fat with all the lecithin, vitamins and minerals intact. It smells so good you could put it on your cereal. We call it whole-extruded or full energy soybeans. This is the only soybean product used in any Dynamite product. Although this product costs twice as much as soybean meal, we think animal health is darn well worth it.
I hope this information is of help, and remember, we will never compromise the quality of our products to be price competitive.
*STORY NOTE: A few years ago, the mill that processes this farmer’s soybeans was going to close its doors. This meant that the source of this wonderful ingredient was in jeopardy. Dynamite prides itself on being a company that is able to find solutions not just patches to these kind of problems. So what did we do? We bought the mill in Iowa that used this chemical free extrusion method. This ensured a constant supply of clean, nutritious, full energy soybeans for years to come.
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