Soybean meal
is the most important protein source used to feed farm animals. It
represents two-thirds of the total world output of protein
feedstuffs, including all other major oil meals and fish
meal. Its feeding value is unsurpassed by any other plant
protein source and it is the standard to which other protein
sources are compared. While it has been an accepted
part of livestock and poultry diets in the USA since the
mid****0s, soybean feed production took off in the mid****0s and
then accelerated in the early ***0s due to a growing demand from
developing countries. The expansion of aquaculture and prohibitions
on the feed use of slaughterhouse by-products have also fueled the
demand for this high-quality source of protein.
