Finances Trigger American Reluctance to Spend More on Healt...(mericans indicate they seek out soy prod...),Health

Eighty-four percent of Americans recognize soybean oil as very or somewhat healthy. Soybean oil contains zero grams of trans fat, which can often be a deterrent for many consumers at the grocery store. In fact, 59 percent say they would be more likely to buy a product that they currently purchase if the food company reformulated the product to eliminate trans fats. New varieties of soybean oil are giving food companies more ways to do just that.

Awareness and usage of soy protein products continues to climb. Soymilk is most popular, with nearly one-quarter of Americans reporting they drink it regularly. According to Mintel's Soy-based Food and Drink report, soymilk sales grew 61 percent from 2003 to 2008. Emerging soyfoods have also sparked consumers' interest. Today, 17 percent of Americans have tried edamame (young green soybeans) at least once, a significant increase from three percent in 2000.

USB's 16th annual Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition was conducted by an independent research firm. The study includes 1,009 random online surveys conducted in January 2009, providing a sample that is consistent the total U.S. population. The study's margin of error is +/- 1.9 to 3.1 percent, with a confidence interval of 95 percent. The United Soybean Board is a farmer-led organization comprised of 68 farmer-directors. For more health information about soy, visit SoyConnection.com.