The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has rescinded its earlier notice that would have required food manufacturers to disclose prohibited ingredients by Sept. 30, so that those products could be removed from meals served in dining facilities or onboard a ship. Included on the list of prohibited ingredients was Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Isolated Soybean Protein (ISP), Soy Protein Concentrate (SPC), and Vegetable Protein Product (VPP).

The American Soybean Association (ASA) has been actively working this issue, by engaging Members of Congress, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Defense (DoD). In a conference call with representatives of all branches of the military, the DLA notified ASA that the notice would be rescinded. That notice was sent to the food companies that supply the military on Thursday afternoon.

Joining ASA on that call were three groups that support and promote the soyfoods industry: the Soyfoods Association of North America, the Soy Nutrition Institute, and the Soyfoods Council. The DoD representatives announced that a Request for Information (RFI) would soon be made available to the public, and stakeholder groups will be able to provide nutritional information and feedback through a public process.

ASA will continue to work with our soy partners and the rest of the food industry to inform the DoD through this process about both the nutritional value of soy and soy’s functional importance in a wide range of food products.