Soybean Oil Processing
Achieving and maintaining high-quality soybean oil that meets industry demands begins in the field with growing and harvesting conditions, and the genetic makeup
of the bean itself. In the United States, special strains of soybeans developed to produce superior oil, combined with ideal climate and soil, routinely provide harvests of top quality beans for oil production.

After harvesting, soybean oil is extracted from the cooked, flaked beans using the commercial solvent hexane. Next, the resulting crude soybean oil undergoes further refinement - degumming, refining, bleaching, and deodorizing - to remove substances that affect the color, flavor, and stability of the oil. The substances removed during processing include free fatty acids, phosphatides, color bodies, sterols, ketones,
and peroxides.