Novel Drying Methods for Sustainable Upcycling of Brewers’ Spent Grains as a Plant Protein Source

Anubhav Pratap Singh, Ronit Mandal, Maryam Shojaei, Anika Singh, Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski, Marta Ligaj, Jarosław Pawlicz and Maciej Jarzębski
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Anubhav Pratap Singh: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia, 2205, East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Ronit Mandal: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia, 2205, East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Maryam Shojaei: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia, 2205, East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Anika Singh: Food, Nutrition and Health, University of British Columbia, 2205, East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
Przemysław Łukasz Kowalczewski: Institute of Food Technology of Plant Origin, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 31 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-624 Poznań, Poland
Marta Ligaj: Department of Industrial Products Quality and Packaging, Poznań University of Economics and Business, al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland
Jarosław Pawlicz: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 28 Czerwca 1956 135/147, 61-545 Poznań, Poland
Maciej Jarzębski: Department of Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznań University of Life Sciences, 38/42 Wojska Polskiego St., 60-637 Poznań, Poland

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: Brewers’ spent grains (BSGs) are the most important by-product of the brewing industry and are rich in protein and fiber. However, abundant amounts of BSGs are discarded annually worldwide. This project aimed to employ and compare innovative drying techniques to introduce snacks with protein sources derived from leftover BSGs. This study explored the dehydration kinetics of BSGs and the effect of three different drying methods—oven drying (OD), freeze drying (FD), and vacuum microwave drying (VMD)—on their protein content and functionality. Then, an energy and exergy analysis for the drying methods was given. Accordingly, a snack product (baked chips) using the dehydrated BSGs was developed by a sensory panel study to assess consumer acceptability of the final products. It was found that the VMD process took less drying time (48 min) compared to OD (50 min), with higher effectiveness as a drying process. VMD-treated BSG also showed moderate protein functionality and the highest overall acceptability when used in baked chips. Thus, VMD might be used as a sustainable drying technology for thermal treatment and valorization of BSG. In addition to having implications for dietary health, findings can help improve the economy of the breweries and other industries that deal with the processing of grains by valorizing their process waste and contributing to sustainability.

Keywords: Brewers’ spent grain (BSG); drying kinetics; protein functionality; dehydration techniques; exergy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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