The processing of soybeans starts with cleaning, cracking and dehulling. Cracked soybeans are rolled into full-fat flakes, which provide the basis for ground and powdered full-fat flour.

When oil is removed from full-fat soy flakes using solvent extraction, de-fatted soy flakes remain. These are the basis of a number of specialty functional ingredients such as soy flour, soy protein concentrate and soy protein isolate.

As an ingredient, the most elementary form of soy protein is soy flour. It has the highest level of protein:

• Full-fat soy flour contains 40% protein
• Defatted soy flour typically has 50 percent protein.

While more heat treatment usually means less functionality, new enzymatic and fermentation technologies now allow major modifications of protein properties.