Tupelo, Miss. — This month, foam manufacturer Henson Sleep Relief and marketing/sales partner Springs Global will introduce BioFlex Hybrid foam products at retail. The line of foam mattress pads and pillows, which will launch at major merchandisers, will retail from $12 to $400.

The products are made with soybean oil-based materials that Henson Sleep Relief says lessens the amount of petroleum used to make the foam. For every 100,000 mattress pads manufactured with BioFlex Hybrid foam, 3,800 barrels of oil are saved, according to ceo David Henson, who added: "There is no difference in comfort for the consumer."

"Consumers will feel good about doing something for the environment and at the same time supporting American soybean farmers," said Jane Enis, president of Henson Sleep Relief.

BioFlex Hybrid Foam is made by Flexible Foam Products, Inc., with a patented process called EnviroFlex technology. Cargill developed the soy-based ingredients, known as BiOH polyols, that replace a portion of the petroleum products used in BioFlex Hybrid foams.

The soy-blend foam is already being used by a number of manufacturers in the furniture industry, the company said.