A Soybean Hull-based Cat Litter Performs Better Than Some Commercial Products, but Peoria Ag Lab is Having Difficulty Finding a Producer

May 29, 2023

By Tim Shelley

Scientists at the Peoria Ag Lab have improved upon their recipe for a better kitty litter. Now they just need to find a company interested in bringing it up to a commercial scale.

Plant physiologist Steve Vaughn says soybean hulls may be the key ingredient for a better cat litter.

Previously, Vaughn's team tried out litters based on dried distillers' grains and Eastern red cedar flakes. But two years ago, they received a grant to find a use for soy waste products.

"And we come up with a formulation that is actually as good in every respect are better in some factors than anything that's on the market," he said.

The soybean hulls are combined with guar gum and mineral oil to create the right mix for an effective kitty litter.

Test results published this year show the soybean hull-based litter works as well or better than four of the leading commercial litters in reducing dust and odors. But Vaughn says it's been hard to sell companies on their idea, so far.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.