Spent grain – the side-stream that keeps on giving
Consumers are constantly on the lookout for plant-based options that taste great and contribute to a healthy diet. These products are even more attractive if they can help reduce environmental impact. While plant-based innovations seem to be happening all the time, there's a new ingredient that has huge potential – spent grain.
Spent grain is a by-product of the brewing process, and while it’s often used in biogas or animal feed, around 20% of the total produced each year goes to landfill. However, some producers are now beginning to realise that this side-stream has great potential as a valuable ingredient or base for plant-based food and beverages, and a lot of that is due to its nutritional profile. So, what makes it stand out?
A rich side-stream
An important consideration for any ingredient used in functional food and beverages is how it can contribute to a balanced, healthy diet. Spent grain is made up of 15-26% protein and 35-60%1 fibres which include cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, as well as containing valuable vitamins, essential fatty acids and minerals2. As with many other ingredients that are used as a basis for plant-based products, it naturally offers a variety of health benefits. It has one main advantage, though – it’s already being produced in vast quantities.
Spent grain can be the basis of a variety of innovative and appealing products – especially products that appeal to modern consumers that are more conscious both in terms of health and sustainability.
“The combination of almost non-existent sugar content, together with a healthy amount of proteins and fibres, makes it a new and interesting sustainable ingredient with great potential.”
Mirko Stanic, Account Manager at Tetra Pak.
Meeting global needs
Oats and almonds are increasingly popular in plant-based functional beverages, and with good reason. Both offer a good combination of fats, proteins, fibres and sugars, with oat-based products typically containing more of each of these. Spent grain, while not as widely used yet, can offer even more significant functional benefits than other plant-based ingredients, as it often contains high proportions of fibre and protein, as well as low sugar levels.
The fact that it’s a natural by-product of an existing process also means that it’s affordable and sustainable nutrition. This is more important than ever before due to a rising population and an estimated 2.4 billion people facing moderate to severe food insecurity as recently as 20223. Spent grain represents a real opportunity, and with the right products at the right price, it could contribute to greater food security and more accessible nutrition.
Ideal for modern consumers
Functional food and beverages continue to grow in popularity as, generally, people are more aware of health concerns, and more conscious of what it takes to maintain a healthy diet. The environment, and how to better take care of it, is also a priority, which means there’s high demand for sustainable and climate conscious products. New products based on spent grain can fit these trends and capture a portion of a growing consumer base. It is already being turned into grain bars, crackers, chips and drinks, and that’s barely scratching the surface of its potential.
A matter of taste
In addition to the foods and beverages already in production using spent grain as a base, beverages are another area where the right product could make a real impact. In trials, consumers have said that spent grain product concepts like vanilla milk drinks and coffee taste good and have a nice mouthfeel. It could be used in probiotic juices, flavoured milk drinks, and plant-based alternatives to standard milk.
“Spent grain is a low-cost plant-based raw material that can result in very profitable products that consumers enjoy, as it has a malty, grainy taste that’s already familiar thanks to the rise of oat-based beverages,” explains Mirko. “The potential here is significant, as the addressable market is huge and the technology is already available.”
The key is finding the right product for your consumers, and establishing an efficient and reliable supply chain. It’s predicted that the market size for spent grain will be in excess of 3 billion dollars by 20304, so innovating with products based on spent grain now could pay off significantly in the long term, while also reducing waste and helping to improve access to balanced nutrition at the same time.
