The brewing industry produces 9 million metric tons of spent grain annually, and rather than discard it, Anheuser-Busch InBev-backed ingredient supplier EverGrain is giving the nutrient-rich brewing byproduct a second chance as a food and beverage ingredient.
Addressing increasing consumer demand for both plant-based and sustainably sourced food and beverage products, EverGrain is upcycling the 1.4 million metric tons of spent grain the world’s largest beer manufacturer generates annually to produce sustainable protein and fiber-rich barley ingredients for use in protein bars and plant-based milks.
Launched this month, EverGrain is led by A-B’s former VP of sustainability, Greg Belt. A-B is acting as sole investor and supplier for the company. Last week, the company officially launched its first two products, both spent grain-based ingredients intended for use by other manufacturers: EverPro, a high protein ingredient intended for use in beverages, protein bars and snacks, and EverVita, a fiber-rich ingredient low in starch and sugars, ideal for breads, pizza crusts, biscuits and pasta.
“A-B InBev is proud to support such a remarkable, purpose-driven venture with a mission to create incredible ingredients to nourish the world through the transformative power of circularity,” Tony Milikin, chief sustainability and procurement officer at A-B InBev, said in a press release. “EverGrain marks an important milestone in our ultimate goal of building a better world as we look to the next 100 years and beyond.”
EverGrain had been in development for more than seven years, according to Belt, with the concept originating during his time at A-B’s research and development center in Belgium in 2013. Although the beer brewing process removes starch from barley, that leaves behind protein and fiber — what EverGrain calls the “golden remainder.” Unlike other plant-based protein sources such as soy and pea protein, barley protein is 95% soluble and has a neutral taste, Belt said, making it not only easier to formulate recipes with but also to meet consumer taste preferences. EverPro barley protein has similar nutritional value to pea protein, he said, but is also “equivalent to soy in performance and versatility.”
Because of spent grain’s high perishability, the “golden remainder” from the brewing process must be stabilized quickly. It’s this process that took a significant amount of time to develop without the use of harsh chemicals, Belt said. Ultimately the company collaborated with Dr. Elke Arendt at Ireland’s University College Cork, to develop the process that EverGrain relies upon.
“It’s many ideas of many people contributing and building upon really an idea that was just driven by sustainability, which is, hey, we have this great source of protein and fiber,” Belt said. “And that can impact hundreds of millions or billions of people. And we felt like those nutrients needed to be saved.”
With processing issues solved, the company turned to using the ingredient in products, working on formulations for beverages, bread, pasta, flour, protein bars and shakes.
One of the products the group used as a test case was Take Two, a plant-based barley milk brand, which was launched out of A-B’s Zx Ventures accelerator in 2017 under the name Canvas. The original brand was built on early technology EverGrain developed. Belt said the product helped the company better understand the limitations of its technology and ultimately pivot to a simpler process.
Canvas rebranded as Take Two last year after working closely with EverGrain on a reformulation that uses its EverPro product, addressing previous issues of sour flavor and gritty texture. Take Two co-founder and CEO Sarah Pool told BevNET last summer that the company hopes to create a barley milk-based platform, expanding into yogurt, butter and ice cream. While Belt could not comment on the brand’s expansion plans, he confirmed EverPro could lend itself to the production of those products.
While it has worked with test cases like Take Two for years, the company didn’t officially launch until last week. Belt said the company is currently in discussions with brands on more than 100 products across a variety of categories. Most immediately, Garden of Life will launch a plant-based protein powder featuring barley protein around by June, Belt said, while ingredient company Puratos is working on new products for its bakery customers. Additional innovations will include high protein ready-to-drink tea and high protein and high fiber bread and pasta, Belt said.
EverGrain has facilities in both the U.S. and Belgium, with each focused on making different food and beverage products. The company has built its facilities in close proximity to A-B’s breweries, in order to minimize transportation, Belt said. Given A-B’s ownership of more than 260 breweries across six continents, Evergrain has a wide range of possible future locations, according to Belt. However, he said the company is open to working with breweries outside of A-B’s network as well.
Despite robust supply and industry demand, consumers are largely unfamiliar with barley protein’s use in a variety of products, Belt said. He predicts that wider adoption will follow as consumers become educated about the ingredient’s health attributes. With EverGrain’s launch and brand partnerships, Belt envisions a better experience at grocery stores in three to five years.
“From our standpoint, we see a consumer that’s just primarily interested in great tasting, sustainable and healthy plant-based products,” Belt said. “And even some of the best products in the grocery store today only solve one or two of those three, very few actually solve all three. And that’s where we think EverGrain can make a difference.”