Valorization of hop bagasse for the improvement of the quality of craft beers is the objective of VALART, a project in which CRETUS researchers from the Laboratory of Research and Development of Analytical Solutions (LIDSA), FEUGA and the company producing beer, Cervezas Silvestres (Bieron Agudelo SL).

The brewing process generates a huge volume of waste, most of which is used for soil fertilization and animal feed. The excessive accumulation of waste is a major problem for the sector, being necessary to pay for transport to the disposal / destination point. In addition, an important part of the investment made with the purchase of raw materials, especially high in the case of hops, is lost. One way to recover a part of the cost, while favoring the recycling and reuse of raw materials, is to look for new applications based on innovative processes for the recovery of waste.

To solve this problem, VALART will work with a double objective: first, characterize hops waste, investigate the recovery of especially interesting components (polyphenols, acids and aroma components), and study the potential of its reuse in the process to improve the stability and aromatic quality of beers; and, secondly, taking into account the demonstrated bioactivity of these compounds (antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anxiolytic, etc.), contributing to the development of new products with added value in other areas of economic activity. Therefore, it will work with a strategy of circular economy and revaluation.

The project is funded by grants for the execution of pilot projects of the Ministry of Rural Affairs, co-financed with the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) under the Rural Development Program (RDP) of Galicia 2014-2020

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