First sports nutrition powders made with upcycled barley protein to launch from new company FȲTA

Photo from EverGrain

EverPro, the upcycled barley protein ingredient pioneered by EverGrain (St. Louis), the sustainable-ingredients division of AB InBev, is being featured in a brand new sports nutrition line called FȲTA. FȲTA was founded by The Ultimate Fighter champion James Wilks. The companies say this will be the first sports nutrition line made with upcycled barley protein.

According to the companies, the new FȲTA sports nutrition powders, which will initially launch solely in ecommerce, will provide “an unmatched profile for any performance protein on the market.” They supply 30 g of fast-digesting protein as well as 3 g of fiber and only 1 g of added sugar, and they include the essential amino acid levels required for optimal muscle building and recovery. As for taste, the companies say that EverPro uniquely provides a mellow flavor, “removing the thickness, grittiness, and vegetable notes found in other [plant protein] products.” It also offers high solubility and low viscosity.

Most significantly, EverPro is an ingredient upcycled from brewer’s spent grain, making it “one of the world’s most sustainable and scalable commercially available protein products,” they claim. The companies say that the FȲTA launch will demonstrate that EverPro is ready for commercial scale-up.

“As an ingredient business within the world’s leading brewing company, we have the unique capability to scale production of upcycled barley protein,” said EverGrain’s CEO Greg Belt in the press release. “In fact, we estimate we can upcycle and commercialize upwards of 6,000 metric tons a year.” Plus, he said, EverPro is “highly compatible” with other proteins, creating lots of room to innovate new types of products, including for markets other than sports nutrition.