Even if you favor traditional franks ‘n’ beans over tofu hot dogs and edamame, soybeans are still likely to find their way into your home as more companies develop construction and home products with soy-based adhesives, coatings, and plastics.

“Building Better With Soy” is a slogan of the United Soybean Board (USB), a group of farmers funding research into soy technology and promoting new uses for soybeans. “Soy replaces petroleum in products and it’s greener; soy is self-sustaining and renewable,” says Karen Fear, a farmer from Montpelier, Indiana, and director of the USB. She adds that soy is typically less expensive than petroleum, but soy-based products might be a bit more expensive at retail until they are more widely used.

Read story at Consumer Reports Blog.