Terra Bioindustries and Great Western Brewing turn beer byproduct into food ingredients

Protein Industries Canada has announced a new C$1.1 million (US$801,000) project with Terra Bioindustries and Great Western Brewing Company to turn brewers spent grain into high-value food ingredients through an upcycling process designed to strengthen Canada’s domestic food supply chain.

• Protein Industries Canada committed C$486,000 (US$354,000) toward a C$1.1 million (US$801,000) project to convert brewers spent grain into food ingredients through Terra Bioindustries’ upcycling technology.
• Terra Bioindustries planned to transform brewers spent grain into four ingredients, with the project focusing on TERRA Malt, a multifunctional barley syrup for food and beverage applications.
• Great Western Brewing Company began developing a non-alcoholic beer using TERRA Malt to reduce alcohol production during fermentation while creating additional value from brewing byproducts.

The project will focus on converting a food-safe byproduct from beer production into ingredients that can be used in food manufacturing, with the partners initially concentrating on TERRA Malt, a multifunctional barley syrup developed by Terra.

The initiative brings together Terra, based in Ontario, and Great Western Brewing Company, based in Saskatchewan, with Protein Industries Canada committing C$486,000 (US$354,000). The two industry partners will provide the remainder of the funding.

“By connecting Canadian creativity with Terra’s technology, this initiative will strengthen our domestic food supply chain and reinforce Canada’s leadership in sustainability and innovation,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. “Supported by Protein Industries Canada, one of Canada’s global innovation clusters, this project is a shining example of how we can build a more resilient food sector, one that produces high-quality ingredients while minimizing environmental impact.”

Terra will use its proprietary process to separate brewers spent grain, also known as BSG, into four ingredients: TERRA Protina, a high-protein concentrate; TERRA Fibra, a dietary fiber; TERRA Choc, a cocoa extender; and TERRA Malt, a multifunctional barley syrup. Each has potential as a low-carbon base ingredient for food products.

For this project, the focus will be on TERRA Malt. Great Western Brewing Company is developing a non-alcoholic beer using the syrup, whose low fermentable sugar content is intended to reduce alcohol production during fermentation. The partners also expect the project to reduce transportation emissions and create additional value from brewing byproducts.

“This project is a strong example of how Canada can make more food here, creating more value from the crops and co-products we already produce,” Protein Industries Canada CEO Tyler Groeneveld said. “By transforming BSG into innovative, low-carbon ingredients, Terra and GWBC are helping strengthen our domestic supply chain, expand food production, and demonstrate what it means to Make It Here. That is exactly the kind of innovation that will grow Canada’s food production capacity, while creating new economic opportunities here at home.”

Brewers spent grain is one of the largest byproduct streams from beer production. Although it is food-safe and derived from barley, much of its value is often limited by the difficulty of separating its protein, fiber, sugar and flavor fractions into ingredients that can be used more widely in food applications.

Terra’s process is designed to address that challenge by using the entire BSG stream rather than isolating only one part of it. The company described the technology as a commercially viable approach for BSG upcycling, with potential relevance for breweries and food producers beyond Canada.

“By separating proteins, fibres, sugars, and flavour compounds, we are able to use all of the BSG while concentrating the nutritional or functional qualities separately. The ingredients are more versatile, production is more efficient, and nothing is wasted. Projects like this allow us to not only test TERRA Malt as an ingredient but to create a truly circular system that celebrates Canada’s grains,” said Rebecca Palmer, Marketing Lead at Terra.

The project also gives Great Western Brewing Company a route to recover more value from its own production side streams while supporting product development in the growing non-alcoholic beer category.

“For Great Western Brewing Company, this project means thousands of dollars staying in our business, funds we can put back into our recent investment in innovation, strengthen our operations, and support good local jobs. This investment helps us reinvest in our people and continue giving back to our community. Thank you to everyone at Protein Industries Canada that helped get this over the finish line,” Great Western Brewing Company CFO Brendan Halbgewachs said.

Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga, also welcomed the project as an example of Canadian food innovation.

“Terra Bioindustries is another great example of the innovation and ingenuity we have here in Kitchener,” Louis said. “Combining science, business and food is helping Canada produce more here at home while strengthening our food supply and creating new opportunities in our agri-food sector.”

Protein Industries Canada said the project formed part of its wider effort to support domestic innovation and advance The Road to $25 Billion, a national vision to grow Canada’s plant-based food, feed and ingredient sector into a C$25 billion (US$18.2 billion) industry.

The work also sits under the organization’s Make It Here initiative, which aims to create more value and opportunity from Canadian crops, the economy, the food sector and families across the country.