Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Spent Beer Grains Land In Novel Vegan Protein Blends

SolvPro, the new line of vegan plant protein blends from Osage Foods, is made using EverPro — the upcycled grain from beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Osage Foods, the Missouri-based provider of ingredients and ingredient systems, has launched six protein blends featuring fellow Missouri company Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (AB InBev) EverPro protein. The range is targeted at end-use applications with varying functionalities and benefits, the company says.

EverPro

EverPro is a first-of-its-kind barley protein that dissolves almost instantly when added to beverages. The protein is made from spent brewers’ grains in the beermaking process. AB InBev launched EverGrain to upcycle the leftover grains to reduce its food waste and carbon emissions.

“The EverPro protein isolate is the key ingredient in our SolvPro 008 and 009 systems, in combination with pea protein isolate and with added masking agents, this new system delivers a complete plant protein with adequate levels of all the essential amino acids to deliver a PDCAAS of 1.0, equivalent to whey protein isolates,” Bill Dickinson, President of Osage Food Products, said in a statement.

AB InBev says its EverPro delivers greater solubility, better taste, and improved texture.

“This system allows for a very high usage level and protein levels beyond anything currently on the market (>30 grams per serving) with no thick viscosity, chalkiness, or off flavors,” Dickinson says.

“We’re so excited to partner with Osage Food Products on their SolvProTM solution,” said Greg Belt, CEO of EverGrain. “It truly is a solve, with plants working harder together to give consumers what they crave: great taste, nutrition, and sustainability in their plant-based protein shakes.”

Belt says both EverPro and SolvPro work well in dairy alternatives, coffee, and as an ingredient in nutrition bars.

Upcycling spent grain

AB InBev, the world’s largest beer producer, has been aiming to create new market opportunities for spent grains over the last several years.

EverPro is the world’s first commercially available upcycled barley protein, something AB InBev outperforms popular protein choices like whey and pea protein in absorption and digestibility.

The use of spent grains makes EverPro a more sustainable protein than other plant-based protein options as it emits fewer emissions and requires less land and water than other proteins. EverPro is also certified by the Upcycled Food Association, a nonprofit that says it is on a mission to “prevent food waste by accelerating the upcycled economy”.

In 2021, EverGrain announced Take Two, which turned more than 500,000 pounds of spent beer grain into plant-based milk. AB InBev’s competitor Molson Coors also brought barley to the dairy-free sector with the launch of Golden Wing barley milk last year.