Monsanto Skinnies Its Soybeans

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Shape up, Fatty. Scientists are creating a lower-fat soybean.

Because soybeans are so overloaded with fat (not really), Monstanto has come to the rescue yet again. The St. Louis-based Dr. Grain-kenstein is seeking approval for its brand-new genetically modified low-fat soybeans.

What's the point? The low-fat beans could make soybean oil that doesn't require hydrogenation, so it meets current trans-fat restrictions. Soybean-oil sales have been down since trans-fats have fallen out of favor in the past few years.

So it's not really about making soybeans healthier; it's about modifying the beans to sell more oil.