Soybean

1,234 foods contain this ingredient

Protein Legumes allergen group Soy allergen group

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About Soybean

Soybean appears in pet food as meal, protein concentrate or isolate, or oil, valued as a plant protein supplying all essential amino acids, though it is relatively low in methionine and cysteine.

Soybean is a common plant-based ingredient in pet foods used as a concentrated protein and fat source (in forms such as soybean meal, soy protein concentrate/isolate, and soybean oil) that supplies essential amino acids, calories, and beneficial polyunsaturated fats. It can be a cost-effective, digestible protein for many dogs but is less ideal as the sole protein for obligate carnivores like cats and may trigger allergies or deliver phytoestrogens and antinutritional factors (e.g., trypsin inhibitors, phytates) that are typically reduced by proper processing, so diets using soy should be balanced and monitored.

Related ingredients

Beta-Sitosterol Hydrolyzed Soy Protein Lecithin Soy Soy Flake Soy Flour Soy Grit Soy Lecithin Soy Oil Soy Protein Soy Protein Concentrate Soy Protein Isolate Soy Sprout Soybean Germ Soybean Hull Soybean Mill Run Soybean Oil Textured Vegetable Protein

Derived from: Glycine max seed (processed into meal, protein concentrate/isolate, or oil)
Primary role: plant-based protein and fat source

Why it's used

Soy is notable among plant proteins for supplying all of the essential amino acids dogs require, which is part of why it is used as a protein extender alongside animal proteins. Proper heat processing (extrusion or similar high-temperature treatment) inactivates trypsin inhibitors and denatures lectins, and studies report total protein digestibility in the 85 to 90 percent range for properly processed soy-based diets.

Common concerns

Oligosaccharides and stool quality Beyond trypsin inhibitors, soybean meal contains oligosaccharides that are associated with flatulence and looser stool quality in some animals if not adequately processed or balanced in the formula.
Bloat (GDV) myth versus evidence A widely cited myth links soy and cereal ingredients to gastric dilatation-volvulus in dogs, but a case-control study on dry dog food ingredients found no significant association between soy or cereal content and GDV risk, while it did find fat-containing ingredients among the first four listed were linked to increased risk.
Soy as a reported allergen Soy has been identified as an offending allergen in a minority of confirmed canine food-allergy cases, generally cited around six percent of documented cases, making it a less frequent but recognized allergen relative to beef, dairy, chicken, and wheat.

Also relevant

Soybean's fat fraction (soybean oil) is a separate ingredient from soybean meal and does not carry the same protein-related processing concerns, since it contributes primarily polyunsaturated fat rather than protein.

5 sources cited