High protein, low soluble-sugar, partially defatted soybean products
suitable for use as a partial or full replacement of fish meal and other
protein and energy sources in the manufacture of fish and land animal
feeds and pet foods, are produced by a process in which fat is extracted
from dehulled, flaked soybeans. Soluble sugars are then extracted from
the defatted soybean cake using an ethanol/water mixture in a
counter-current solvent extraction process. The resulting product
contains a minimum of about 5 percent by weight residual soybean fat, and
it is dried, cooled and ground to produce a fine, free-flowing powder
product. The process also produces a sugar syrup suitable for use as a
fermentation source for the production of ethanol which can be recycled
to the soluble sugar extraction step of the process, and a premium
soybean oil.