TERRA Malt, a malted barley extract made from upcycled brewers’ grains, receives final regulatory determination in Canada. The non-novel determination from reviewers at Health Canada means TERRA Malt is officially recognized as a food ingredient across Canada.

The upcycled barley extract is one of three ingredients made by Canadian circular business, Terra Bioindustries Inc. Since 2021, the company has focused on creating multiple B2B food ingredients from brewers’ spent grains and other agri-food sidestreams. Pre-commercial trials of TERRA Malt have tested its use as a flavor and colour enhancer for beverages, chocolatey baked goods, savory sauces, and even non-alcoholic beer.

“The non-novel declaration from Health Canada marks an important step forward for our barley malt syrup, enabling broader commercialization in the Canadian market” says Terra Bioindustries’ Food Regulations & Quality Manager, Arushi Sharma. “This will build more confidence [for] our customers. This approval reflects the strength of our scientific rationale and our focus on developing innovative, compliant food ingredients.”

“We want to make ingredients that compete with conventional staples. Getting this kind of regulatory outcome shows how it’s possible to create things like malt extracts through upcycling and not sacrifice performance or flavor” notes Rebecca Palmer, Chief Marketing Officer at Terra Bioindustries.

This isn’t the first time they have submitted one of their upcycled ingredients for review. Their protein ingredient, TERRA Protina, received non-novel status early in 2024 after voluntarily applying for review. With TERRA Malt now reviewed, application for TERRA Fibra is already underway. 

Terra Bioindustries prioritizes food safety and sustainability when sourcing local brewers’ spent grains to break down into proteins, sugars, and fiber. “We work closely with our partnered breweries and Health Canada to ensure the sidestreams are handled correctly” says Palmer.