After signing up, you'll start to receive regular news updates from us.
USA: New GM soybean with higher oleic acid content approved

Complete the form below to unlock access to ALL audio articles.
(11 June 2010) The Department of Agriculture in the USA has approved a new, genetically modified (GM) soybean containing higher levels of oleic acid. This is the first of a series of GM plants that are poised to enter the market with a modified composition of nutrients.
After clearance by the American Department of Agriculture, the new soybean is now "deregulated": its cultivation in the USA is possible without particular restrictions, as is also the case with its processing and the commercialisation of its products. In a previous step, the Food and Drug Agency (FDA) already had given the green light.
The soybean was developed by Pioneer Hi-Breed, a daughter company of the DuPont
chemical firm and displays a modified composition of fatty acids: it
contains more oleic acid – a monounsaturated fatty acid – than other
soybeans while its portion of saturated fatty acids
has been reduced by around 20 per cent. Under intense heat, such as
occurs during frying and broiling, such saturated fatty acids partly
are transformed into trans fatty acids. These, in turn, contribute to
higher readings of fat in the blood and therefore are viewed as
questionable with regard to health and well-being. The modified
spectrum of fatty acids in the soybean has not been achieved through
the introduction of ‘foreign’ genes, but rather through the blocking of
genes that already are present (
RNA interference or ‘anti-sense’).
Since 2006 in the USA, the presence of trans
fatty acids must be declared on the labels of food products. For this
reason, the food industry is interested in the marketing of products
without such acids. Trans fatty acids also may be formed by specific
processes of hydrogenation, in which plant oils are transformed into spreadable fats.
Due to the high proportion of oleic acids in the new GM soybean, the oils and fats produced from the bean may be prepared and used at high temperatures without formation of the undesired trans fatty acids.
According to statements from Pioneer, market entry for the new soybean (brand name Plenish, event
code 305423) is planned in the USA for 2012. Until then, approval also
will be a goal in other export-significant countries. The soybean is
intended for contractual farming in the USA and in Canada in 2010 and
2011 and its oil will be subject to testing.