The Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) has been tapped to take over the delivery of a national food-grade soybean testing and analysis program.
Previously the responsibility of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada’s Harrow Research and Development Centre, the Canadian Soy Quality Program provides independent, third-party data on the quality of Canadian food-grade soybeans.
“We’re confident the Canadian Grain Commission will continue the proud Canadian tradition of measuring soy quality, with its strong reputation for grain quality research,” said Brian Innes, executive director of Soy Canada, the organization that coordinates the soy quality program.
The program is further supported by Producteurs de Grains du Quebec, Grain Farmers of Ontario and the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers.
To maintain consistency and ensure the scientific integrity of the data year over year, the CGC will continue to apply the same methodologies used at the Harrow Research and Development Centre, according to a Soy Canada release. The CGC and Harrow have worked together to ensure “continuity and a seamless transition,” the release added.
The program consists of two primary testing components that will see more than 2,000 soybean samples submitted for testing for the 2024 crop year. The food grade variety testing provides compositional analysis for food-grade soybean varieties in trials across Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. The soyfood performance testing evaluates the functional properties of soy products like tofu and soy milk. Both seed developers and exporters utilize the program to have credible information about the varieties they develop and market.
Soy Canada is a national value-chain organization for the soybean sector, including seed companies, Canada’s 30,000 growers, exporters, and processors.
