We talk a lot about food-tech moonshots and the billions being invested to chase the next big breakthrough: Lab-grown meat and seafood, precision fermentation, molecular farming, or 3D-printed foods — these are bold and inspiring ventures that push the boundaries of what food can be. They’ll undoubtedly make our diets more diverse, our products more sophisticated, and our food systems more exciting. However, despite their promise, they won’t close the global food gap — at least not on their own.

While we celebrate the futuristic, we often overlook the obvious. Every year, millions of tonnes of co-products flow out of our food and agricultural industries. Food factories, breweries, and processing plants quietly produce hundreds or thousands of tonnes of side streams still rich in proteins, fibres, and bioactive compounds. These materials are too often dismissed as waste, when in fact they’re concentrated sources of nutrition and functionality waiting to be recovered.

Core Industrial Processes Generating Co-Products

Bioethanol Production Ethanol plants worldwide generate large volumes of solid and liquid co-products. In the United States, the bioethanol industry produces around 20–23 million tonnes of distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS) each year (USDA), while in Brazil, sugarcane-based ethanol yields significant amounts of vinasse, bagasse, and spent yeast biomass. Depending on the type of co-product, these streams may be rich in protein, fibre, minerals, and multiple bioactive compounds, offering opportunities for further valorisation.

Oilseed Processing According to data, global protein meal output from oilseed crush is projected to reach 405 Mt by 2032 (OECD/FAO, 2023). The majority of this production originates from soybean, followed by rapeseed/canola, sunflower, and cottonseed. These meals and press cakes are rich in high-quality protein, dietary fibre, residual oils, minerals, and multiple bioactive compounds. They remain among the most abundant and consistent biomass sources available globally.

Brewing and Distilling The global brewing industry generates high amounts of brewers’ spent grain (BSG) and spent yeast as major co-products of beer production. BSG consists mainly of insoluble dietary fibre, protein, and residual starch, and also contains phenolic antioxidants and minerals. Spent yeast contributes high-quality protein, B-complex vitamins, β-glucans, and mannoproteins.

Fruit and Vegetable Processing Processing of fruits and vegetables generates substantial side streams (peels, pomace, stems, leaves), often accounting for 15–30% of the processed mass. These residues are rich in dietary fibre, antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins, and natural pigments, making them promising feedstocks for bioproduct valorisation.

Overlooked Opportunity: Unlocking Co-Products to Help Bridge the Global Food Gap

In their raw form, many co-products are high-moisture, unstable biomass with variable composition and anti-nutritional factors, limiting their functionality. Traditionally, streams such as oilseed meals, brewers’ grains, and distillers’ residues have been — and will continue to be — used in livestock feed, providing valuable sources of energy, protein, and fibre. Their sheer volume, year-round availability, and nutrient density make these co-products an overlooked opportunity to bridge the global food gap — not by producing more, but by using better what we already have.

Down-to-Earth Innovation: Advancing Existing Technologies to Unlock the Value of Co-Products

Through targeted processing and stabilization, co-product streams can be upgraded into nutrient-dense functional ingredients for the food, nutraceutical, and bio-based sectors, while also improving their nutritional and functional quality for optimized feed applications.

Further advancements and tailoring existing practical solutions—such as separation, fermentation, enzymatic processing, and drying—is key to giving co-products a new life in the circular bio-economy. Future progress will require tailoring those technologies to the specific requirements of different co-product streams, along with improvements in mass and energy efficiency and the development of integrated systems capable of processing multiple materials within a single bio-refinery. Technologies must be robust, adaptable, and scalable to maintain consistent quality, while efficient, mild processing and strong safety control will support the production of high-value, sustainable ingredients for food and feed.

By rethinking how we process co-products, we can create sustainable foods, reduce waste, and build a more efficient, resilient food system. Collaboration between industry, researchers, and technology developers will be essential to realize this potential.

What are your thoughts on the most promising directions to close the global food gap — from emerging technologies to better co-product valorization?