United Soybean Board announces 2023 Soy Innovation Challenge finalists

When looking at soybean fields growing in the bright summer sun or from behind the wheel of the combine at harvest, farmers focus on the number of pods per plant or bushels per acre. Whether used for feed or as a feedstock for biofuels, the potential of soybean goes far beyond food and fuel. 

The majority of the world’s soybeans are processed into soybean oil and meal. The supply of soybean meal continues to increase, due to a growing demand of soybean oil used as a feedstock for renewable energy. Brandon Day, chief operating officer with the Yield Lab Institute, explained that as the increased push of sustainable aviation fuel and soybean oil has created a surplus of soybean meal, we will have to find new and innovative ways to find value for that excess meal. 

The Soy Innovation Challenge was launched by United Soybean Board (USB), the Yield Lab Institute, U.S. Soy and other partners as a way to identify the most promising innovations and technologies for new and novel uses of soybeans, according to Day. “This explores a new realm of soybean meal being used outside of food, feed, and fuel into industry applications and new and novel materials, medicine, and improved production of animal feed,” Day said. 

The 2023 Challenge is the third Soy Innovation Challenge and received 69 applications worldwide. From these 69, four finalists were selected, and they unveiled their technologies at Commodity Classic in Houston to USB, its farmer board members, and other partners. “We think these four finalists and their technologies represent really interesting opportunities to not only create new uses and new markets but also new revenue opportunities for U.S. farmers and enhance U.S. soy’s reputation outside of what is traditionally known,” Day shared. 

Clean Label Solution

Clean Label Solution proposes transforming the dairy and beef industry by simultaneously boosting meat and milk production while curbing methane emissions with an innovative and proprietary soy-based feed. 

 “We deliver technology that improves the protein and fat digestibility of soy-based animal feed while at the same time reducing production costs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions for dairy and beef cattle,” explains Mohammad Arshadi, founder and CEO of Clean Label Solution. “Our product is a whole bean produce that provides both high quality energy and protein for dairy cattle. Through our process we improve the protein and fat digestibility of soybean. We solve the toxicity issue usually associated with soybean oil and have shown that beneficial rumen microbial populations increase, which also increases the efficiency of digestion.” 

Clean Label Solutions has had good success with its soy-based dairy product and plans to expand market development to include soy-based products for beef, dairy, and aquaculture (salmon and shrimp).

Renewable Green Composites

Renewable Green Composites (RGC) is a company bringing novel and practical sustainability solutions to the plastics industry by using  materials made from agricultural products, especially soy. 

 “My customers, in the plastics industry, were asking for plastics from sustainable sources. I did some research and found that ground soybean meal can be pressed into a non-toxic, compostable plastic, but it is horribly fragile and worthless for applications,” says Scott Loethen, founder of RGC. “Through the addition of specific chemicals and with specific processing, the brittleness and weakness are gone, and it can be an appropriate option for plastic applications.” 

These biodegradable, biobased plastics work well for rigid plastic applications (think pots for plants, wastepaper baskets, etc.). The raw material costs are comparable to traditional plastics. The application of these products are wide and could help find uses for the anticipated 12 million to 13 million metric tons of excess soybean meal remaining from soybean oil-based biofuel production.

NeuEsse

NeuEsse proposes to harness the healing power of soy by creating a human skin substitute made from soybean protein. The readily available skin has healed full-thickness wounds that results in minimal to no scarring and provides a cost-effective healing option that is not prone to heat or cold, doesn’t disintegrate, and has a long shelf life. 

 “We take pure protein from soy and use a process called electrospinning,” explains Joseph Connell, CEO of NeuEsse. “A regular bandage covering a wound keeps bacteria out and moisture in. Our soy skin goes into the wound and becomes part of your body, absorbs exudates, and becomes a scaffold that helps your body regenerate.”

NeuEsse has a second technology in its pipeline that is a liquid sprayable skin that has application for burn victims. The project is personal for Connell. “I was a burn victim when I was a child. To rebuild my leg, it took 360 circles of skin from the top of my thigh. Had the liquid skin been available, we could have prevented 360 wounds and 360 scars. I’m committed to helping as many people as possible.”

CellyFill

CellyFill has developed a fully sustainable cushion product as an alternative to polyurethane foam. It’s near 100% cellulose based and scalable for multiple industries. 

Polyfoam is petroleum based and not biodegradable and has many uses. “Polyfoam is highly variable in performance specifications and manufacturers love that,” says Nancy Levens, vice president of CellyFill. “We are focused on foam for seating and mattresses. For example, the specifications for an airline seat cushion are different from those for a sofa. That’s been a challenge to work through.” 

There are other challenges. "In cushion form, soy has a decent amount of moisture that can result in an odor over time," Levens explains. "For that reason, any previous soy hybrid alternative for manufacturing has been 20% soy and 80% petroleum based. We have developed formulations and preparation methods to produce foams that enhibit rapid shape recovery and tunable mechanical properties with nearly 100% soy that significantly reduce moisture and odor."

CellyFill has been in a creative research and development partnership with the National Renewable Energy Lab, who has taken the concept and developed it further, with a patent pending.

“The upside for farmers is that polyfoam is a $75 billion per year industry,” shares Levens. “This is an example of taking soy waste and converting it into something usable. An alternative to polyfoam, even if just a fraction, would be significant.” 

The contest will conclude in May, when winners of the $170,000 in cash prizes are announced.