Abstract
Recycling of by-products from the food industry has become a central part of research to help create a more sustainable future. Brewers’ spent grain is one of the main side-streams of the brewing industry, rich in protein and fibre. Its inclusion in bread, however, has been challenging and requires additional processing. Fermentation represents a promising tool to elevate ingredient functionality and improve bread quality. Wheat bread was fortified with spray-dried brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and fermented brewers’ spent grain (FBSG) at two addition levels to achieve “source of fibre” and “high in fibre” claims according to EU regulations. The impact of BSG and FBSG on bread dough, final bread quality and nutritional value was investigated and compared to baker’s flour (BF) and wholemeal flour (WMF) breads. The inclusion of BSG and FBSG resulted in a stronger and faster gluten development; reduced starch pasting capacity; and increased dough resistance/stiffness. However, fermentation improved bread characteristics resulting in increased specific volume, reduced crumb hardness and restricted microbial growth rate over time. Additionally, the inclusion of FBSG slowed the release in reducing sugars over time during in vitro starch digestion. Thus, fermentation of BSG can ameliorate bread techno-functional properties and improve nutritional quality of breads.
Highlights
Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) has been labelled as the most abundant side-stream generated by the brewing industry and accounts for approximately 85% of the total by-products produced [1]
The replacement of baker’s flour (BF) by brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and fermented brewers’ spent grain (FBSG) caused an increase in water absorption, in high in fibre formulations (BSG high in fibre” (HF) (68.60 ± 0.35%); FBSG HF (66.93 ± 0.31%))
The results from this study highlight the great potential of fermentation as a tool to functionalise BSG and turn it into a food ingredient, which elevates the nutritional value of bread by increasing protein and fibre content and simultaneously ensuring higher bread quality
Summary
Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) has been labelled as the most abundant side-stream generated by the brewing industry and accounts for approximately 85% of the total by-products produced [1]. BSG is a lignocellulosic material comprised of the outer layers of the barley grain, namely the husk-pericarp-seed coat [1]. It is rich in dietary fibre (30–50%), mainly arabinoxylan, and protein (19–30%), contains low levels of fat and starch, as well as vitamins and minerals [2]. Numerous alternative uses for BSG are emerging [1,2,3,6,7]. As BSG is considered a highly nutritious raw material, increased attention has been given to the use of BSG as an ingredient in different food products to elevate their nutritional value and pursue the goal of a more sustainable future
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