Midwest grain shipments bound for Asia often find an easier path through the Puget Sound gateway. 

Bob Sinner’s family and their partners have farmed soybeans and other grains in the rich soils of North Dakota’s Red River Valley for more than 100 years.

Since the late 1980s, the family business has produced, processed and supplied food-grade products for the Asian market. “Global agricultural trade today is all about food safety,” said Sinner, president of SB&B Foods, Inc.

Food manufacturers seek agricultural commodities that meet stringent safety standards, as well as crop varieties with specific traits that make them ideal for use in particular products. Grain and soybean producers like SB&B Foods meet these demands through systems for identity preservation.

Unlike the bulk agricultural exports moving through the grain terminals, identity preserved (IP) food grade grains are shipped in containers and require careful handling from field to market. Detailed record-keeping traces each grain shipment to the field where it was grown and how it was raised and processed.

Identity preserved soybeans are considered the “caviar of tofu,” and U.S.-grown soybeans are considered the finest in the world.

SB&B Foods produces both organic and non-genetically modified crops under contract for customers. Soybeans, sorghum, wheat and rye are custom-packaged on-site to eliminate contamination by other crops or pesticides. The food ingredient products are sealed in containers at its North Dakota and Wisconsin facilities for transport by truck, rail and ship overseas.

“Our customers want our products loaded at our door and sealed to protect it,” Sinner said. “It becomes a food safety and food liability issue.”

On-time delivery is also crucial for IP grains, Sinner said. Food manufacturers have limited storage and inventory, particularly in Asia, where heat and humidity can impact ingredient quality.

The Northwest Seaport Alliance is a key part of the supply chain for Midwest grain shippers. Direct rail connections, a choice of major shipping lines and experienced transload facilities nearby ensure agricultural products reach their final destination in excellent condition and on time. 

In fact, SB&B Foods’ shipments moving through the Puget Sound experience the fewest hiccups.

Specialty and commodity grain shippers have the product, the quality and the customers overseas—and the NWSA has the right connections to get that product to the market.