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Ethanol- The new power lunch?Another dimension of the food vs. fuel debate When most people talk about by-products from ethanol, they usually think of the portions that are removed as distillers grains and used for livestock feed. But there's a strong possibility that you may one day be eating an energy bar or some other food product with some of the same ingredients. For almost two decades, researchers have experimented with the notion of including distillers grains from corn, wheat and barley in an assortment of food products--with varying levels of success. After all, this by-product is high in protein, with levels ranging between 35 to 45 percent, and a great source of fiber. And with the growing number of ethanol plants built in the U.S., the supply is abundant. Across the U.S., the production of distillers dried grains with solubles reached 14.5 million tons in 2006, according to the U.S. Grains Council and could reach as high as 40 million tons. Years ago, I attended Capitol Hill receptions when members of Women Involved in Farm Economics were promoting ethanol and all of the co-products. They served up a wide variety of dishes made from distillers grains, including breads, cookies, muffins, cakes and even spinach dip. Think of anything that you might cook using flour, crackers, wheat germ and a soybean extender, and you'll be thinking of products that might be able to utilize distilled grains. Challenges remain So why aren't major food manufacturers chomping at the bit to use this stuff? Primarily because of the taste, smell and cooking properties--especially as you attempt to use higher levels of distillers grains in the mix. Currently, there are no commercial food products that incorporate ethanol processing residues, but that's likely to change, explains Kurt Rosentrater, with U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Laboratory in Brookings, S.D. He and P.G. Krishnan, at South Dakota State University, are considered to be the leading U.S. experts on this topic. Most food products become darker in appearance when distillers residues are added, says Rosentrater. In addition, distillers grains do not contribute the same functionality as the components they replace, including expansion during baking, texture and mouthfeel. At higher levels, the smell and flavor become issues. Think of chocolate chip cookies baking in your oven, smelling like stale beer. The flavor can be improved, says Rosentrater, by bleaching and deodorizing distillers grains prior to including them in a food product. In addition, improvements in ethanol manufacturing, particularly with the advent of the corn dry-grind process, are producing distillers grains that differ widely in their nutrient content and physical properties from the first generation of processing plants. New technologies are making a world of difference. Kitchen tests underway At the South Dakota State University test kitchen, researchers are experimenting with various food products using DG substitution levels between 7 to 40 percent. Panels evaluating the products have given ratings of "acceptable" or better to foods like banana bread, carrot coconut bread, nut rolls, oatmeal muffins, beef stew and chocolate chip cookies. Given the strong demand for products that are low in calories and high in protein, Rostentrater believes there can be significant opportunities for distiller's grains in food products. The key may be to develop a novel use, rather than trying to use distillers grains as a replacement for something like wheat or corn flour. However, he says additional research and testing will be required before such products will be commercially viable. Progress has been slow and steady, Rosentrater emphasizes, but he's confident that they are closer than ever to finding solutions. "I'd be really surprised if we don't make significant headway in the next couple of years." Editor's note: Columnist Sara Wyant is president of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. and publishes a bi-weekly newsletter, Agri-Pulse, on food and farm policy. For more information, you can e-mail her at Agripulse@aol.com. B 5 3/5/07 1 Star WK Date: 3/1/07
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