Previous reports indicate variable soybean quality parameters exported/shipped from different geographic regions. This review compares the quality of soybeans grown under diverse environmental conditions from the US, Brazil and Argentina, the three main exporting countries. While various studies have been conducted on whole soybean and soybean meal composition by origin, similar analysis of soybean oil is lacking. This review includes analysis of crude degummed soybean oil samples, providing a holistic analysis of soybean and soybean co-product quality by origin. Furthermore, a meta-analytical approach was conducted to quantify the relation between US and Brazil soybean meal chemical composition, nutritional value, minerals, and limited amino acid composition. Soybeans from Brazil have higher levels of protein than those from the US but the US soybeans have lower heat and total damage than soybeans from Brazil. US and Brazil soybean meal have higher crude protein than soybean meal from Argentina. At equal crude protein content, US soybean meal had less fiber, more sucrose and lysine and better protein quality than South American soybean meals. Methionine, threonine, and cysteine levels were similar in soybean protein from US and Argentina and higher than that in soybean protein from Brazil. Degummed soybean oil from Brazil had higher free fatty acids, neutral oil loss, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium than degummed oil from the US or Argentina. Our analysis suggests that environmental conditions under which soybeans are grown and stored as well as their handling can have a large impact on chemical composition and nutrient quality of soybean oil.
