EverGrain Ingredients, an impact driven ingredient company created by AB InBev, is proud to announce that its entire portfolio of upcycled barley protein and fiber ingredients has received the Upcycled Food Association's (UFA) certification. The first-of-its kind mark, which launched last year, will enable food and beverage manufacturers that use the ingredients place the claim on its packaging.

"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 planet," said Gregory Belt, EverGrain CEO. "We are transforming spent barley – what we, at EverGrain, call saved barley – into one of the world’s most sustainable, accessible, plentiful sources of plant-based protein and fiber."

This summer, EverGrain is due to come online with a scaled facility out of St. Louis, MO producing EverPro, a soluble plant-based protein that is highly compatible with pea protein. The company is also exploring plant-based protein and fiber ingredients that can be used in meat alternatives, breads and pastas.

To help combat climate change and enhance sustainability, staples such as grains will be genetically edited to survive on very little water and hybrid genetically edited plants will enable people to grow their own food. Sharing apps such as Olio or Too Good to Go will expand and regulation may make food waste illegal in the food production and retail sectors.

"As the world's largest brewing company, AB InBev depends on high-quality barley from thriving communities and healthy ecosystems to brew our beers. Every year, 1.4 million metric tons are left over, or ‘spent’ through the brewing process," said Ties Soeters, EverGrain Chief Product Owner. "Given the global scale, protein quality and market advantage, the team at EverGrain saw a unique opportunity to unleash the power of upcycled nutrition to meet the increasing global demand for plant-based products."

This is especially good timing as individuals begin actively seeking products that carry the certification as a way to make an impact on the planet with their food and beverage purchases. Take Two, an Upcycled Certified barley milk made from EverPro, is one such product available in market today. The UFA recently announced that demand for the certification has already exceeded original projections, and the 141 packaged goods and ingredients with this designation are now projected to prevent more than 703 million pounds of food waste annually.

UFA's founder and CEO Turner Wyatt says having companies that can leverage their size and scale, and ability to innovate from within, enables consumers to accelerate the impact that can be made with accessible choices. "The products and ingredients that have gone through the certification thus far span food, cosmetics, personal care, and pet food, and are created by both small startups and global legacy brands. This represents a major shift in our consumer product and retail environments because for the first time, consumers can help to prevent food waste every time they walk into a grocery store."

EverGrain began with a mission to fully utilize barley to its full potential. EverPro’s nutritional profile is one of high, bio-available protein, very low carbohydrates, just a half gram of sugar per 100g and free-from cholesterol, soy & dairy.

Additionally, EverGrain has achieved the Non-GMO Project Verifcation, which is the only third-party non-GMO verification for food ingredients.