Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) applauds today’s announcement by Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) that it will reduce trans fatty acids in fried foods at its chicken restaurants by using oil from low-linolenic soybeans.

“We’ve been very pleased with the level of interest from food companies in using VISTIVE™ low-linolenic soybeans in their efforts to reduce trans fats,” said Jerry Steiner, executive vice president of Monsanto.

“KFC’s announcement and others like it present a unique opportunity for North American soybean farmers,” Steiner said. “Demand for this type of oil continues to outstrip supply. Farmers here can demonstrate to the food industry that they are able to provide the best alternative oil in the fight to reduce trans fats while, at the same time, earning a premium growing VISTIVE low-linolenic soybeans.”

Monsanto has increased the opportunity for growers by adding new processors, geographies and seed brands for VISTIVE low-linolenic soybeans in 2007. Monsanto is expanding acreage production in 2007 to include Ohio and Maryland, as well as Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Nebraska, where these soybeans are currently being grown. VISTIVE low-linolenic soybeans have the Roundup Ready® trait and maintain performance parity with other commercial soybean varieties.

VISTIVE low-linolenic soybeans, developed through conventional breeding, contain less than three percent linolenic acid as compared to the typical eight percent level found in traditional soybeans. The result is more stable soybean oil, with less need for hydrogenation, which produces trans fats. Because soybeans with a lower linolenic acid level reduce the need for partial hydrogenation, their application in processed soybean oils reduces the presence of trans fats in processed soybean oil.

KFC is the latest company to announce the use of low-linolenic soybeans to reduce or eliminate trans fats in its products. Kellogg Company, for instance, announced last year that it is using oil from VISTIVE low-linolenic soybeans as part of a major trans fat initiative.