EUBCE 2024 - Christos MARGIOULAS - Development of a Brewers’ Spent Grain Biorefinery Targeting Biopolymer Production and Application as Food Packaging Materials

Development of a Brewers’ Spent Grain Biorefinery Targeting Biopolymer Production and Application as Food Packaging Materials

Short Introductive summary

In a world with a substantial annual biomass production, converting carbohydrates from sources like Brewer’s Spent Grain (BSG) is crucial. BSG, a major brewing by-product rich in protein, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, has traditionally been used in animal feeding. This study pioneers the use of BSG for sustainable food packaging. Employing an innovative technique, DBD non-thermal air plasma, in order to enhance the enzymatic hydrolysis. From the biorefinery that was developed, many valuable fractions, including structural carbohydrates, protein, and lignin were extracted. The resulting sugars from the enzymatic hydrolysis were used to produce bacterial cellulose, which was then modified to bacterial nanocellulose. Through strategic extraction, protein- and lignin-rich fractions were obtained from the residual solids, which were then used for the production of biodegradable films. This research contributes to both BSG valorisation and the advancement of biobased and biodegradable food packaging materials.

C. Margioulas, Agricultural University of Athens, GREECE
M. Sarafidou, Agricultural University of Athens, GREECE
K. Filippi, Agricultural University of Athens, GREECE
C. Argeiti, Agricultural University of Athens, GREECE
S. Paramythiotis, Agricultural University of Athens, GREECE
T. Tsironi, Agricultural University of Athens, GREECE
A. Koutinas, Agricultural University of Athens, GREECE