Soy Quality Program
Building on the legacy of AAFC Harrow
In partnership with Soy Canada, the Soy Quality Program provides independent, third-party data on the quality of Canadian food-grade soybeans, building on the legacy of AAFC Harrow through two main testing streams.
- Food-Grade Variety Testing creates public quality data for existing and new varieties
- Soyfood Performance Testing that focuses on detailed end-use testing of early-stage varieties and other varieties of commercial interest for exporters and seed developers for soy food products like miso and tofu
Research and expertise
In addition to quality testing, the program provides scientific expertise in soybean and soy food quality for engagement with customers, Canadian exporters, seed companies, and academics.
The program’s scientific work includes
- conducting research on factors affecting the quality of food-grade soybeans and end-use products (such as soymilk, tofu, and miso) made from food-grade soybeans
- developing new and/or improved methodologies for predicting food-grade soybean quality and assessing end-use performance
Research on quality factors includes understanding how variety, growing environment, and processing affect the quality and end-use performance of food-grade soybeans. It also involves determining how the physical and chemical components of food-grade soybeans affect the characteristics of the end-use products made from food-grade soybeans.
Methods and tests used to measure quality
Quality data is compiled from the results of analytical tests performed in the Grain Research Laboratory. These tests are conducted according to standardized procedures and methods. That way, results are reliable and accurate, and quality data can be compared from year to year.
Find out about the Canadian Grain Commission’s published methods and tests used for soybeans and pulse crops.
Find a food-grade soybean variety
The Food-Grade Variety Finder is a comprehensive, interactive tool that allows customers to search and compare varieties based on key quality attributes. Data from the Soy Quality Program is used to inform the tool.
Program manager
Dr. Ning Wang PhD
Find out about Ning Wang’s expertise, affiliations and contact information.