How is soy processed and what is hexane solvent extraction?
There are a variety of ways to extract the oil from soybeans and other oilseeds and FDA considers all methods safe. Solvent extraction is the most common method used globally to extract oil from oilseeds. A solvent is a compound that is used to dissolve a specific material. Solvent extraction is similar to the way a cup of coffee is prepared using a home coffee maker. One method of solvent extraction safely employed for more than 70 years, uses hexane to separate the oil from the defatted soybean flakes. After oil extraction, the remaining components go through an evaporation process that removes substantially all the hexane from the oil and defatted flour. This flour may be further separated into protein concentrates or isolates that are used in making veggie burgers and many other meat alternatives. The multiple steps to making soyfoods further remove residual hexane in the finished ingredients. Hexane solvent extraction is commonly utilized for soybeans, corn, canola, cotton seed, s
