Anheuser-Busch last week announced that EverGrain, a sustainable ingredient company backed by AB InBev, is officially operational with its barley protein, EverPro. Through its proprietary upcycled process, EverGrain is focused on transforming the barley used in the brewing process into high-quality, nutritious, and sustainable protein ingredients that can be used in a variety of other foods and other beverages. EverPro is Upcycled Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified, with Anheuser-Busch sourcing 98% of its ingredients from U.S. farmers.
In March 2021, Anheuser-Busch announced to locate EverGrain’s U.S. production operations in an historical building on the Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery Campus in March 2021. (inside.beer, 30.3.2021)
The renovation and opening of the facility was made possible by last year’s USD 100 million investment deployed into the St. Louis community – where Anheuser-Busch has called home for more than 160 years. St. Louis continues to be its hub for innovation, as recent developments are part of the company's previously announced plan to invest more than USD 1 billion over two years in its facilities to help accelerate the recovery and drive economic prosperity and help create jobs in communities across the country.
The new full-scale plant protein production facility will support EverGrain’s mission to revolutionize sustainable ingredients since the company broke ground and began the renovation of the historical Stockhouse 10 landmark on the Anheuser-Busch St. Louis Brewery Campus in March 2021.
“At Anheuser-Busch we approach sustainability with an innovative mindset so that we can integrate cutting-edge solutions throughout our supply chain. This makes operating sustainably a commitment, not just a priority, and it leverages the power of our network to solve important challenges,” said Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch. “EverGrain is one of the standout examples of this commitment, helping achieve a more sustainable food chain while making a major impact through job creation and investment in St. Louis.”
The new facility is the first major production site for EverGrain globally and will create a local and sustainable supply of plant protein to fill growing consumer demand. This facility marks the first commercial-scale facility dedicated to upcycling barley at scale.
“We started our journey in 2013, long before upcycling was a trend, with the goal of unlocking every grain of potential in our barley to have a positive impact on people and the planet,” said Gregory Belt, EverGrain CEO. “This new commercial facility in St. Louis is a significant milestone in our journey to transform spent barley at scale into one of the world’s most sustainable, accessible, plentiful sources of plant-based protein.”
Since its launch, EverGrain has worked to commercialize its first generation of nutrient-rich, ancient-grain products to market, including EverPro. The ingredient is unique in the plant protein space, with superior solubility versus other plant proteins, for better taste experience in nutrition beverages, bars and tea/coffee drinks. EverPro can be found in products from leading brands such as Nestle’s Garden of Life and Airship’s Cold Brew Coffee.
