A new milk alternative may not appeal to everyone's taste. Milk substitutes, such as soy and oat beverages, serve as a good option for those who don't consume cow's milk.
Related topic: Urgent recall of milk in Germany
Now, the global company Tetra Pak aims to collaborate with breweries and work on a new substitute product. It is intended to be made from beer byproducts and offer several advantages.
The new milk alternative will be produced using beer byproducts
The global Tetra Pak group plans to produce milk substitutes in the future from a substance known as brewer's spent grain. To achieve this, they intend to partner with various breweries.
Brewer's spent grain is a byproduct generated during beer production, specifically the remnants of malt.
Typically, fibrous grain residues are either mixed into animal feed or discarded. Brewer's spent grain, however, brings numerous benefits to humans. This is the starting point Tetra Pak evidently wants to capitalize on.
One advantage of beer byproducts is that they don't need to be cultivated; they are already readily available. In Germany alone, approximately 4,000 tons of spent grain are produced daily in beer manufacturing, according to the Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE).
Consequently, the costs of such a milk substitute would be significantly lower than producing soy and oat products. This might positively impact the purchase price, although it's not certain.
Because plant-based beverages are currently, on average, more expensive than cow's milk, according to the Consumer Center of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Additionally, beer byproducts have other advantages:
Brewer's spent grain is rich in protein and serves as a "healthy source of fiber", as reported by BZfE. In addition to fiber, beer byproducts also contain protein, fat, minerals, vitamin E, and secondary plant substances such as phenols and flavonoids.
It turns out that a milk substitute made from beer byproducts will not only be cost-effective but also beneficial for health. By the way, brewer's spent grain does not contain alcohol.
Thus, the milk substitute made from beer byproducts will not be placed on the supermarket shelf next to alcoholic beverages but will be positioned alongside other milk substitutes. Additionally, brewer's spent grain has a slightly bitter malty taste. Whether the milk substitute will have a similar taste, and whether Tetra Pak can bring its idea to life, remains unknown.
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The collaboration between Tetra Pak and breweries could lead to a new milk alternative being produced in Germany, utilizing beer byproducts. This new substitute, rich in protein and fiber, could potentially be more cost-effective and healthier than existing plant-based beverages.
