Soy flour
Soy flour suppliers and sourcing guide
Soy flour is ground soybeans (Glycine max) that have been cleaned, cracked and dehulled. Full-fat soy flour is milled from whole dehulled beans, while defatted soy flour is milled from the flakes left after the oil is extracted, usually with hexane, giving about 50 percent protein. Heat treatment sets the protein dispersibility index (PDI), which decides whether the flour is enzyme-active for bread or toasted for other uses.
- Category
- Food staples and powders
- Also known as
- soybean flour · Glycine max · defatted soy flour · full-fat soy flour
- Facts checked
- November 2026
Forms and grades of soy flour
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Defatted soy flour
Made from flakes after oil extraction; around 50 percent protein, sold at several PDI levels.
Full-fat soy flour
Whole dehulled beans, heat-treated and milled; about 20 percent fat.
Enzyme-active (high PDI)
Lightly heated so lipoxygenase stays active, used in small amounts to whiten bread crumb.
Toasted (low PDI)
Heavily heated for lower beany flavor, used in baked goods, meat products and feed.
Non-GMO and organic
Identity-preserved or certified organic soybeans; organic flour cannot use hexane extraction.
What to check on the COA
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
- Protein
- Protein by Kjeldahl or Dumas, on as-is or dry basis.
- Protein dispersibility index (PDI)
- AOCS method result that shows how much heat the flour had, and so its function.
- Fat, moisture and fiber
- Fat by solvent extraction, moisture by oven, and crude fiber.
- Urease activity
- Shows whether trypsin inhibitors were reduced by heat, mainly for toasted grades.
- GMO status
- PCR test or identity-preservation documents for non-GMO claims.
- Microbiology and residual hexane
- Plate count, yeast and mold, coliforms and Salmonella, plus residual hexane for defatted grades by GC.
Storage, lots and expiry
Storage and shelf life
Store soy flour cool and dry in sealed, multiwall bags; full-fat flour goes rancid faster and is best kept cool. Keep away from odors and pests. Shelf life follows the supplier's spec, which is longer for defatted than full-fat flour.
Lots and expiry dates
Protein, PDI and color vary by crop and processing, so record PDI and protein per lot, especially when the flour is used for its enzyme activity. Keep identity-preservation documents with each non-GMO lot and rotate first-expiring lots first (FEFO).
Regulatory status
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
FDA lists soybeans among the nine major food allergens identified by law in the United States.
Source: fda.gov (opens in a new tab)Health Canada's Soy Flour natural health product monograph lists the dry seed of Glycine max as the source material, including defatted soybean flour.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)
This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Soy flour suppliers
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
We are checking soy flour suppliers now
Every listing is checked against the supplier’s own website before it goes live, so this list fills in over the coming weeks. The specs and COA checklist above are ready today.
Sell soy flour? Request a listingFrequently asked questions
What forms of soy flour can brands buy?
Common forms include defatted soy flour, full-fat soy flour, enzyme-active (high PDI), toasted (low PDI) and non-GMO and organic. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
What should the COA for soy flour include?
Expect protein, protein dispersibility index (PDI), fat, moisture and fiber, urease activity, gMO status and microbiology and residual hexane, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
How should soy flour be stored?
Store soy flour cool and dry in sealed, multiwall bags; full-fat flour goes rancid faster and is best kept cool. Keep away from odors and pests. Shelf life follows the supplier's spec, which is longer for defatted than full-fat flour.
What is the regulatory status of soy flour?
FDA lists soybeans among the nine major food allergens identified by law in the United States. Health Canada's Soy Flour natural health product monograph lists the dry seed of Glycine max as the source material, including defatted soybean flour.
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