Benson Hill Investing $28M to Build High Protein Soy Extrusion Facility in Iowa

In January 2022, biotech leader Benson Hill acquired ZFS Creston, LLC. At the time, the company stated that the acquisition was part of the final steps toward its ability to convert its proprietary soybeans into value-added soy protein ingredients for the human and pet food industries.

The company has now announced it will be investing $28 million at the Creston site for an expansion project including a 15,000 square-foot building and all necessary equipment to create a soy extrusion facility in support of scaling up production.

This new project is in response to soaring demand for soy-based protein ingredients outpacing supply to such a level that the traditional siloed approach to ingredient production would not keep pace. Benson Hill noted that the Creston operation is equipped to produce soy meal, soy oil, food-grade soy white flake, flour, and grits, which can all be marketed or used as raw material to produce concentrates, isolates, or textured proteins.

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