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"A proposed regulation by the Food and Drug Administration could put an end to a decades-old business relationship between farmers and brewers, and raise the price of beer in the process.
For about as long as farmers have required a supply of feed for their livestock, they’ve relied on spent grain—malted barley, wheat, rye, and other cereals that have been stripped of their sugar content—from breweries. It's a cheap source of nutrition for cattle, and something even humans can enjoy. Some clever homebrewers actually use spent grain to make cookies, muffins, and other baked goods.
It’s also a perfectly symbiotic relationship: Farmers receive a cheap (sometimes even free) source of livestock feed, and breweries are relieved of the responsibility of disposing of the grain themselves. According to the Beer Institute, 90 percent of the 3 million tons of spent grain produced by breweries goes directly to farmers.
“It’s one of those rare things that’s been a win-win for livestock producers and the beverage industry,†Tami Kerr, director of the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association, told the Oregonian.
But now, a proposed FDA regulation could put an end to this relationship—or, at the very least, saddle breweries with costly regulations and facility upgrades. According to the new rules, all businesses that produce livestock feed would be required to have written plans identifying potential health hazards associated with their feed, and specifying steps to prevent such risks."
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For about as long as farmers have required a supply of feed for their livestock, they’ve relied on spent grain—malted barley, wheat, rye, and other cereals that have been stripped of their sugar content—from breweries. It's a cheap source of nutrition for cattle, and something even humans can enjoy. Some clever homebrewers actually use spent grain to make cookies, muffins, and other baked goods.
It’s also a perfectly symbiotic relationship: Farmers receive a cheap (sometimes even free) source of livestock feed, and breweries are relieved of the responsibility of disposing of the grain themselves. According to the Beer Institute, 90 percent of the 3 million tons of spent grain produced by breweries goes directly to farmers.
“It’s one of those rare things that’s been a win-win for livestock producers and the beverage industry,†Tami Kerr, director of the Oregon Dairy Farmers Association, told the Oregonian.
But now, a proposed FDA regulation could put an end to this relationship—or, at the very least, saddle breweries with costly regulations and facility upgrades. According to the new rules, all businesses that produce livestock feed would be required to have written plans identifying potential health hazards associated with their feed, and specifying steps to prevent such risks."
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