Hexane Contamination in Soy Products

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Virtually all "protein bars" on the market today are made with soy protein. Many infant formula products are also made with soy protein, and thousands of vegetarian products (veggie burgers, veggie cheese, "natural" food bars, etc.) are made with soy protein. That soy protein is almost always described as safe and "natural" by the companies using it. But there's a dirty little secret the soy product industry doesn't want you to know: Much of the "natural" soy protein used in foods today is bathed in a toxic, explosive chemical solvent known as hexane.

To determine the true extent of this hexane contamination, Cornucopia Institute conducted testing of hexane residues in soy meal and soy grits using FDA-approved and USDA-approved laboratories.

The results proved to be worrisome: Hexane residues of 21ppm were discovered in soy meal commonly used to produce soy protein for infant formula, protein bars and vegetarian food products.

These laboratory results appear to indicate that consumers who purchase common soy products might be exposing themselves (and their children) to residues of the toxic chemical HEXANE -- a neurotoxic substance produced as a byproduct of gasoline refining.

But how dangerous is hexane, exactly? Is it something that could be dangerous at a few parts per million? And which soy-based products on the market right now might be contaminated with hexane?

Scant research has been conducted concerning their effects. And the FDA does not require food manufacturers to test for hexane residues.

In 2008, 92% of soybeans grown in the U.S. were genetically engineered. Highly processed soy protein ingredients are increasingly found in processed foods, as well as 25% of the infant formula sold in the United States. Some industry insiders estimate that as many as 50% of organic soybeans consumed in the United States are imported from China where organic oversight is questionable.

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