The Western Australian Government, in partnership with the End Food Waste CRC, is investing $660,000 in research to help WA’s craft brewing industry transform brewer’s spent grain (BSG) waste into sustainable, high-value products.
The three-year project, led by ChemCentre, will study the chemistry of BSG from various barley varieties, breweries, and batches to uncover new opportunities for value-added products. These include new ready-to-eat foods, food ingredients, prebiotics, nutritional health supplements, and sustainable biomaterials like plant-based leather.
BSG is a by-product of the brewing process, mainly from barley grain. The Australian brewing industry produces more than 300,000 tonnes of BSG annually. For every 100 litres of beer brewed, around 20 kilograms of wet BSG is created.
During the brewing process, sugars are extracted, leaving behind a protein-rich, high-fibre material with valuable potential in food and materials manufacturing. Despite these sought-after attributes, most BSG is currently used as low-cost animal feed or ends up in landfill.
Unlocking its value starts with knowing exactly what is in BSG.
As part of the project, ChemCentre will deliver the first-ever detailed chemical composition and nutritional profile of Australian BSG. It will identify nutrient components, aromas, and flavours that influence how it can be used in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and biomaterial industries.
Project partner Curtin University will lead the use of innovative, eco-friendly technologies—such as reverse osmosis, pulsed light combined with ultrasound, and microwave-assisted extraction—to enhance the recovery of proteins, flavours, and flavonoids in BSG.
ChemCentre leads a powerhouse partnership working with Curtin University, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and industry partners, the WA Brewers Association, Spinifex Brewing Co, Nanollose, and Maalinup Gallery to drive innovation from lab to market.
The Western Australian Government, in partnership with the End Food Wast CRC, is investing $660,000 in research to help WA’s craft brewing industry transform brewer’s spent grain (BSG) waste into sustainable, high-value products.
The three-year project, led by ChemCentre, will study the chemistry of BSG from various barley varieties, breweries, and batches to uncover new opportunities for value-added products. These include new ready-to-eat foods, food ingredients, prebiotics, nutritional health supplements, and sustainable biomaterials like plant-based leather.
BSG is a by-product of the brewing process, mainly from barley grain. The Australian brewing industry produces more than 300,000 tonnes of BSG annually. For every 100 litres of beer brewed, around 20 kilograms of wet BSG is created.
During the brewing process, sugars are extracted, leaving behind a protein-rich, high-fibre material with valuable potential in food and materials manufacturing. Despite these sought-after attributes, most BSG is currently used as low-cost animal feed or ends up in landfill.
Unlocking its value starts with knowing exactly what is in BSG.
As part of the project, ChemCentre will deliver the first-ever detailed chemical composition and nutritional profile of Australian BSG. It will identify nutrient components, aromas, and flavours that influence how it can be used in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and biomaterial industries.
Project partner Curtin University will lead the use of innovative, eco-friendly technologies—such as reverse osmosis, pulsed light combined with ultrasound, and microwave-assisted extraction—to enhance the recovery of proteins, flavours, and flavonoids in BSG.
ChemCentre leads a powerhouse partnership working with Curtin University, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and industry partners, the WA Brewers Association, Spinifex Brewing Co, Nanollose, and Maalinup Gallery to drive innovation from lab to market.