EverGrain launches plant-based barley ingredients for pizza crusts and other applications

EverGrain, a sustainable ingredient company that uses barley to produce nutritious, flavourful protein and fibre barley-based ingredients backed by Anheuser-Busch InBev.

The company uses saved grain from brewing and through its innovative processes, transforms the circularly sourced barley into nutrient-rich ingredients that can be used in food and beverage products.

“Our unique barley ingredients will transform plant-based products, delivering better tasting and more nutritious options to consumers who seek a healthier and more sustainable future,” said of EverGrain founder and chief executive officer Greg Belt. “EverGrain’s innovative and circular approach, which we’ve honed over the past five years, offers a scalable, local and reliable solution for the global food industry to help address the world’s food security and sustainability challenges.”

The company cites research by HealthFocus International that suggests a quarter of the world’s shoppers say plant-based foods and beverages have become more important in their diets and are willing pay a premium for plant-based products.

“AB InBev is proud to support such a remarkable, purpose-driven venture with a mission to create incredible ingredients to nourish the world through the transformative power of circularity,” said Tony Milikin, chief sustainability and procurement officer for Anheuser-Busch InBev.

EverGrain’s product lines, EverPro and EverVita, are highly versatile and can be used across a wide range of food products. EverPro, a fully soluble protein isolate, is currently being formulated in multiple plant-based protein products, including beverages, protein bars and snacks. EverVita, barley fibres and proteins with minimal starch, are being used as a single solution to boost the nutrition and gut health benefits of baked goods, pasta and snacks without impacting taste and texture.

EverGrain ingredients are currently available in products such as Take Two, a plant-based barley milk line. The company also has multiple product launches with commercial partners planned that will reach shelves in the United States and Europe in 2021.

The barley-based protein and fibre ingredients have the following benefits in these application categories:

• Pizza crust: Improves on the whole-wheat pizza experience with strengthened mouthfeel; easy to integrate into formulations; delivers a signature, appetizing golden-brown crust
• Bread: Increases specific volume and moistens crumb compared to wholemeal flour; promotes superior machinability and consistency of dough; lowers net carbohydrates and predicted GI
• Pasta and noodles: Promotes “al dente” texture with great tensile strength and firmness performance; has ideal extrusion with no sticking together while drying or cooking; offers a more appetizing flavour than legume-based varieties
• Cakes and muffins: Higher specific volume than cakes fortified with wheat bran or wholemeal flour; water-binding properties to retain moisture during baking; lower in carbohydrates
• Cookies and biscuits: Provides an appetizing golden-brown colour that communicates a health halo; promotes crispiness and crunchiness with a light texture
• Bars and snacks: Has a clean taste with desired texture and chew and minimal moisture transfer; promotes a crisp and crunchy texture for extruded snacks, while enabling higher protein and fibre-fortified positioning
• Shakes and smoothies: Improves mouthfeel of ready-to-mix protein powder with no chalkiness; offers high dispersibility for easier integration; extends shelf life with no need for thickeners
• Plant-based milks: Enables clean ingredient legends with impressive dispersibility; simple to blend with other plant-based proteins; enables a creamy, desirable texture that is comparable to dairy milk
• Coffee and tea: Lowers viscosity an average of 40 per cent for smoother mouthfeel; enables boosted protein content without relying on dairy; complementary brown colour matches popular coffees and teas

evergrainingredients.com