Overview of the Irish brewing and distilling sector: processing inputs supply and quality requirements

For any brewing and distilling establishment, the supply and quality of processing inputs is a major determinant in its production output. Accessibility and availability of brewing and distilling inputs drives productivity and quality of products. The Irish brewing and distilling sector have shown increased sales and production output, with a growth rate of 4% between 2014 and 2019. The brewing industry in the republic of Ireland has seen a 22% increase in the number of micro-breweries since 2014, and its total output now stands at 8.3 m hectolitres. The distilling industry witnessed an increase from four to thirty-eight in the number of distilleries between 2010 and 2020 with a local and global sales at 2.4 and 20 million nine litre cases, respectively. As a result of the continued growth of the Irish brewing and distilling sector, demand for different processing inputs has increased proportionately. For a sustainable production process, there is need for a steady supply of the right quantity and quality of the major inputs for brewing and distilling. Sustainable growth of the sector requires establishment of a strong base of processing inputs availability and their effective utilisation to minimise environmental impacts. This review, therefore, looks at the current state of the major processing inputs for brewing and distilling in Ireland, as well as their general characteristics and requirements

Review of the Valorization Initiatives of Brewing and Distilling Byproducts

Beer and spirits are two of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in the world, and their production generates enormous amounts of by-product materials. This ranges from spent grain, spent yeast, spent kieselguhr, trub, carbon dioxide, pot ale, and distilled gin spent botanicals. The present circular economy dynamics and increased awareness on resource use for enhanced sustainable production practices have driven changes and innovations in the management practices and utilisation of these by-products. These include food product development, functional food applications, biotechnological applications, and bioactive compounds extraction. As a result, the brewing and distilling sector of the food and drinks industry is beginning to see a shift from conventional uses of byproducts such as animal feed to more innovative applications. This review paper therefore explored some of these valorization initiatives and the current state of the art

Nutritional values of Zonocerus variegatus, Macrotermes bellicosus and Cirina forda insects: Mineral composition, fatty acids and amino acid profiles

Most edible insects have high nutritional values and are considered as a cheap source of animal protein. This study evaluated the nutritional values of three edible insects in Nigeria: Zonocerus variegatus, Macrotermes bellicosus and Cirina forda as well as their functional properties. The insects had high values of crude fat, protein and vitamins (A, B6, C and E). All the quantified minerals in this study except Na, K and Fe are greater in Z. variegatus when compared to M. bellicosus and C. forda. The recommended nutrient intake (RNI) for infants, children, pregnant and lactating women (PLW) for vitamin B9 was >25% in the three insects, and >100% for vitamin B2 in M. bellicosus and C. forda in standard portions. The RNI of iron and zinc for infants, children and PLW was >25% of the studied insects in standard portions with iron contributing ≥100%. Linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) and oleic acid (C18:1 cis-9) were the dominant fatty acids. Substantial amounts of essential and non-essential amino acids were present in the three insect samples. The functional properties for the isolates and flour contents of the insects varied significantly (p<0.05) across the three edible insects. The data from this study show that the three edible insects have adequate nutritive values that can be exploited as an alternative food source for combating nutritional deficiencies associated with malnutrition. Also, the functional properties of these insects indicate that they have the potential to be harnessed by food industries for enrichment and fortification of human foods and animal feeds