Anheuser-Busch announced that EverGrain, a sustainable ingredient company backed by AB InBev, is officially operational with its barley protein, EverPro®. The new full-scale plant protein production facility will support EverGrain’s mission to revolutionize sustainable ingredients since the company broke ground and began the renovation of the historical Stockhouse 10 landmark on the Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery Campus in March 2021.
The renovation and opening of the facility was made possible by last year’s $100 million investment deployed into the St. Louis community – where Anheuser-Busch has called home for more than 160 years. St. Louis continues to be its hub for innovation, as recent developments are part of the company’s previously announced plan to invest more than $1 billion over two years in its facilities to help accelerate the recovery and drive economic prosperity and help create jobs in communities across the country.
Through its proprietary upcycled process, EverGrain is focused on transforming the barley used in the brewing process into high-quality, nutritious, and sustainable protein ingredients that can be used in a variety of other foods and other beverages. EverPro is Upcycled Certified™ and Non-GMO Project Verified, with Anheuser-Busch sourcing 98% of its ingredients from U.S. farmers. EverGrain leverages the company’s multi-generational relationships with many of its growers to deliver its transformative barley products at scale.
“At Anheuser-Busch we approach sustainability with an innovative mindset so that we can integrate cutting-edge solutions throughout our supply chain. This makes operating sustainably a commitment, not just a priority, and it leverages the power of our network to solve important challenges,” said Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch. “EverGrain is one of the standout examples of this commitment, helping achieve a more sustainable food chain while making a major impact through job creation and investment in St. Louis.”
The new facility is the first major production site for EverGrain globally and will create a local and sustainable supply of plant protein to fill growing consumer demand. This facility marks the first commercial-scale facility dedicated to upcycling barley at scale.
“We started our journey in 2013, long before upcycling was a trend, with the goal of unlocking every grain of potential in our barley to have a positive impact on people and the planet,” said Gregory Belt, EverGrain CEO. “This new commercial facility in St. Louis is a significant milestone in our journey to transform spent barley at scale into one of the world’s most sustainable, accessible, plentiful sources of plant-based protein.”
Since its launch, EverGrain has worked to commercialize its first generation of nutrient-rich, ancient-grain products to market, including EverPro®. The ingredient is unique in the plant protein space, with superior solubility versus other plant proteins, for better taste experience in nutrition beverages, bars and tea/coffee drinks. EverPro can be found in products from leading brands such as Nestle’s Garden of Life and Airship’s Cold Brew Coffee.
About Anheuser-Busch
At Anheuser-Busch, our purpose is to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life’s moments, dream big to move our industry forward, and make a meaningful impact in the world. We hope to build a future that everyone can celebrate, and everyone can share. For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate more than 120 facilities, including breweries, wholesaler distribution centers, agricultural facilities and packaging plants, and have more than 19,000 colleagues across the United States. We are home to several of America’s most loved beer brands, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob ULTRA and Stella Artois, as well as a number of regional brands that provide beer drinkers with a choice of the best-tasting craft beers in the industry. From responsible drinking programs and emergency drinking water donations to industry-leading sustainability efforts, we are guided by our unwavering commitment to supporting the communities we call home.
About EverGrain
Introduced in 2020, EverGrain is a sustainable ingredient company created by Anheuser-Busch InBev to unlock every grain of potential in our barley to make a positive impact on people and the planet. Our in-house team of scientists, sustainability experts, nutritionists and product developers ensure we understand every molecule of barley and how we can build an ingredient portfolio that improves the nutrition and environmental integrity of plant-based foods and beverages. EverGrain will soon have a large-scale facility located in our global headquarters of St. Louis, Missouri.
For More Information:
https://www.anheuser-busch.com