Valorising beer draff

Beer draff as raw material for a plant-based organic meat substitute

Beer draff is the main by-product of the brewing industry with an annual volume of some 230,000 tonnes in Belgium. Currently, most of the draff goes to animal feed, as well as partial exports to the Netherlands. From this follows the question whether we could not also process beer draff in food products. Thanks to its high protein content (15-25%), high fibre content (35-55%) and its possible functional properties, draff is a raw material with potential applications in various food sectors.

The aim of this project is to valorise the beer residue (organic draff) from a partner brewery by transforming it into (a) plant-based and organic meat substitute(s). The project focuses on a close collaboration between a brewer (Brunehaut), producer (Abinda) and retailer (Bio Planet, Colruyt Group) assisted by a knowledge partner (Vives) with the necessary expertise. The draff will be ground in wet form and further processed. In this project we want to develop a concrete case in which we need to set up a whole new chain between brewer, food company & retailer, as well as work out a profitable business plan.

Colruyt Group

Partners VIVES ZUID VZW, Abinda BVen Brasserie de Brunehaut SA

Sectors