Introduction
Soybean meal (SBM) is the number-one protein source used in the poultry and livestock
industries throughout the world. Of all the SBM that is sold in the United
States, >50% is used in diets fed to poultry, and 26% is used in diets fed to swine.
Ruminant animals, dogs, cats, and others account for the remaining portion of this
usage (Fig. 18.1).
The main reason for the popularity of SBM is the unique composition of amino
acids (AAs) that complements the AA compositions of many cereal grains. The excellent
AA quality in SBM is also the reason why SBM is now increasingly being used
in the pet-food industry. While SBM is by far the most popular soybean product in
livestock diets, other products are also being used to a varying degree. These products
include full-fat soybeans, soy protein concentrate (SPC), soy protein isolate (SPI) soy