EXCERPT FROM THE SPOON

Spent grain, a byproduct of the beer brewing process, often goes to waste (although it’s sometimes fed to livestock). Canadian startup Terra Bio is giving the used grain a second life as a plant-based protein.

Terra Bio has developed a proprietary process called bio-fractionation, which breaks down the grain into component parts while leaving its proteins intact. The company says that the resulting protein—which it calls Protina—has a mild, malty flavor and promising gelation properties.