Recent advances in microbial high-value utilization of brewer's spent grain

Abstract

Mitigating the adverse impacts of agricultural and industrial by-products on human populations and the environment is essential. It is crucial to continually explore methods to upgrade and reengineer these by-products. Brewer's Spent Grain (BSG), the primary by-product of the beer brewing process, constitutes approximately 85% of these by-products. Its high moisture content and rich nutritional profile make BSG a promising candidate for microbial utilization. Consequently, valorizing high-yield, low-cost BSG through microbial fermentation adds significant value. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of two valorization pathways for BSG via microbial processing, tailored to the desired end products: utilizing fermented BSG as a nutritional supplement in human or animal diets, or cultivating edible fungi using BSG as a substrate. The review also explores the microbial fermentation of BSG to produce valuable metabolites, laying a theoretical foundation for its high-value utilization.

Keywords: Added value; Brewer’s spent grain; Fermentation; Microorganisms.