“Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.” The famous maxim attributed to Lavoisier seems to have inspired the Sédunoise start-up ProSeed. This young company, which was born in 2021, is indeed relying on a circular approach to produce a new protein ingredient by recovering spent grain from breweries, a residue that was until then often thrown away. Every year, in Switzerland alone, more than 80,000 tonnes of this co-product (see box) from barley malt are wasted, even though it is a resource naturally rich in protein, fiber and low in carbohydrates. “The idea came to us while discussing with the owner of a brewery in Renens (VD) who was next to the school where we did our master’s degree in Innovation and development of products and services (Innokick), explains Aurélien Ducrey, one of the three co-founders of ProSeed. We then decided to make it the theme of our thesis.
The trio have succeeded in perfecting a secret technical process which makes it possible to transform, in the space of a day, the spent grains into a concentrate in the form of protein powder. It is a sustainable, local, nutritionally interesting vegetable ingredient, because it is rich in protein, and whose production requires little energy. “To produce this powder, we want to cooperate with local partners, mainly in Valais,” says Aurélien Ducrey.
Financial and environmental benefits
But is it really that innovative? “Awareness of the revalorization of plant by-products is recent, replies the Valais entrepreneur, who works with a brewery in Sedun. In brewing production, we are therefore pioneers on an industrial scale. Several initiatives aimed at adding value to brewers’ spent grain have been launched, for example by manufacturing biscuits or bread, but these products have been deemed mediocre by consumers because this residue has too much fibre, which affects the taste and the texture of the final product. This is no longer the case with our process. In fact, our protein-rich powder of high nutritional quality is much better valued by being used for human food rather than transformed into biogas or animal feed.”
With ProSeed, everyone wins, including the environment. “From an ecological point of view, we know that we will need more food to meet the increase in the world’s population,” he notes. As vegetable proteins represent an essential source of food, the use of co-products like ours will be of capital value, since they will make it possible to obtain sources of proteins without the need for cultivated land, an asset for a country like Switzerland. , whose agricultural area is already very limited.”
Soon a protein bread
Currently, ProSeed is still in the research and development phase. Its ingredient is evaluated thanks to the assistance of two partners: a supplier of ingredients for bakeries and a chain of Valais bakeries. By November, a protein-rich bread resulting from this collaboration will be offered by this brand. Subsequently, biscuits, protein bars and snacks should complete the offer proposed by the trio.
And in the longer term? Projects jostle in the mind of Aurélien Ducrey and his two associates. “Given that there is currently no industrial production of vegetable protein concentrate in Switzerland, we want to invest in this market, then replicate our business model in Europe, to become the world leader in sustainable ingredients on the professional market. Our manufacturing process by subcontracting can indeed be transposed to many other co-products, such as apple and grape pomace or residues from the manufacture of vegetable milks. These new sources of vegetable proteins might be used in the manufacture of alternative foods to meat. If the three partners succeed, they will certainly toast over a good beer, just to remember their beginnings!
Frédéric Rein
