Agrain and Multiflour see a future in upcycled ingredients
The Danish company Agrain and its Dutch partner Multiflour see opportunities for upcycled ingredients in the protein transition.
Agrain produces ingredients from upcycled brewers’ spent grain. Photo: Agrain
The demand for food ingredients is increasing. Is it time to start looking at the (re)use of streams that are not yet being fully utilised? At the Danish Agrain and its Dutch partner Multiflour, they see opportunities to take upcycling to the next level and to play a role in the protein transition.
Upcycling is not a new concept, but it is now gaining more traction in the food industry. This means that raw materials that were not previously fully utilised are processed so they can be used after all. More and more companies and start-ups are working with residual streams.
One of these is the Danish company Agrain. This company processes brewers’ spent grain from various breweries into ingredients rich in fibre and protein. Selcuk Yildirim, international account manager at Agrain, sees opportunities for these products to contribute to the protein transition. “It’s a win-win situation. The protein transition is more sustainable, and by using upcycled ingredients it becomes even more sustainable.”
Agrain develops three upcycled flour ingredients from brewers’ spent grain, varying in colour and flavour. From a light flour with mild grain and nut aromas for light baked goods, via a medium-brown variant for bread and savoury applications, to a dark flour with roasted and chocolate-like notes for dark breads and rich flavours.
Selcuk Yildirim (Agrain) and René van der Veen (Multiflour) met each other during a Foodvalley meeting. Photo: Misset
Upcycled ingredients are still underutilised in the food industry. How are you going to change that?
Yildirim: “We see growing interest in ingredients with a small CO2 footprint. That can help food producers create a more sustainable product. Our customers are producers who are currently working on this. What sets Agrain apart from other start-ups is the stable quality of our ingredients. That is a challenge in upcycling, because you work with different residual streams. It is important to be able to deliver a consistent raw material. You always want to deliver the same colour, taste and aromas.”
Where does the strength of your ingredients lie?
“We do not separate components from the residual streams. This means our ingredients are both high in fibre and in protein. We use brewers’ spent grain as a raw material, and less desirable substances are already removed earlier in the process. During beer brewing, fermented sugars are already consumed, which means spent grain contains fewer sugars. The largest market we currently see is fibre. Demand for this is already increasing and will only continue to grow. Our functional flours typically contain between 57% and 59% dietary fibre and between 18% and 19% protein per 100 grams. Anyone looking for an affordable, clean-label and sustainable fibre will look to Agrain.”
Can your ingredients already compete with conventional ones?
“We are still more expensive. That is purely due to the scale at which we operate, which is still small. The raw materials we use are inexpensive, as they are residual streams. As the scale increases, the price will come down. At the moment, our customers are companies that have confidence in the ingredient because of the fibres or the sustainable origin. Price comes after that. We are now ready to move into the next phase. We are working on setting up a larger factory.”
What opportunities do you see for upcycled ingredients in the protein transition?
“I think upcycled ingredients can be a great added value on a more sustainable path. It’s win-win. We are currently researching opportunities in hybrid meat. Within this sector, our fibre-rich ingredient can be a valuable addition. Fibres retain water, which can make hybrid products juicier. We see consumers eating less meat. One way to respond to this is by developing products that contain both meat and plant-based fibres. The first products are already on supermarket shelves, and this trend will certainly continue. Our fibres can make a valuable contribution here, among other things by reducing CO2 emissions. We have now carried out tests in which we replaced up to 10% of the meat.”
The power of collaboration
The Danish company Agrain is supported by the Dutch ingredient supplier Multiflour. They met at an event organised by The Protein Community of Foodvalley. The companies see collaboration as a prerequisite for growth.
Selcuk Yildirim: “Without collaborations, we cannot expand abroad. We are a small start-up, we don’t know where demand exists in other countries.” That is where René van der Veen, CEO of Multiflour, comes in. “I am always looking for new ingredients with which we can meet a demand from our customers. With a start-up like Agrain, I saw how eager they are, and that is what I look for. Companies that are willing.” The two companies are working together on broad market application in the Benelux.
Van der Veen sees demand for upcycled ingredients growing somewhat. “There is greater awareness of upcycling, and I also have more frequent conversations with customers about the CO2 footprint of their products. I wasn’t having those kinds of conversations five years ago. Companies are really looking at where they can make an impact. Ingredients are part of that too.”
Source: EiwitTrends
Read the original (Dutch) version of this article at Eiwittrends.nl: