1. business and industrial
2. energy
3. coal

BENEFICIATION OF GERM AND BRAN BY
BY-PRODUCTS
FROM WHEAT AND MAIZE MILLING OPERATIONS
Challenge ID: TIH-C00023 | Published: 16 April 2015 | Deadline: 4 June 2015
Helpdesk: Riëtte van Schalkwyk | Phone: +27 (0)
( 12 844 0673 | Email: [email protected]
Challenge owner
Anonymous
Challenge statement
A multi-national firm with food processing, milling and distribution operations in Southern Africa is seeking
alternative options to beneficiate by--product bulk material generated at their milling operations. The Challenge
owner currently sells the by-product
product as an ingredient for animal feed, and is looking for a partner capable of
developing, testing and implementing
ing a higher value adding business model for this resource
resource.
Business opportunity
Become a preferred supplier and/or joint venture partner to the Challenge owner
wner that may offer significant
opportunities to share in the long--term growth and rolloutt across existing and new mills; outright rights
purchase or licensing will also be considered.
consider
Technology maturity
The Challenge owner is seeking commercialised (or close to commercialised) solutions requiring minimum
inputs and involvement of the Challenge owner.
wner. This requires a full value chain approach favouring a complete
outsourced solution that could be implemented on-site
on site at each of the mills included in the rollout scheme.
Delivery timelines
Phase 1: Technical and commercial evaluation of potential solution/s (1-2 months)
Phase 2: Development and trial/piloting
piloting of potential solution (6-12 months)
Phase 3: Evaluation (in parallel with phase 2)
2
Phase 4: Solution acquisition and rollout
Background
High protein wheat germ and bran are produced as by-products
by products in the milling of wheat and maize. The by
byproduct is a clean biological material safe for human consumption, and typically has the following content
characteristics:


8% fat;
15% moisture;


7 - 10% protein; and
20 - 22% fibre.
It is generated in mixed form (thus containing wheat germ and bran) that can be separated and stabilised
through additional processes. Bran is categorised based on the size of bran particles and a small amount of
suitably sized by-product
product particles (pollards) are used internally for existing products
products. Each mill generates, per
month, approximately 13 000 tonss of by-product
by
from the milling of wheat, and 10 000 ton
tons of by-product from
maize.
All by-product not re-used
used by the mills has to be continuously removed from the site in full. This is due to:




The rate of production of the by-product,
by
e.g. 500 tonnes per day in maize milling
milling;
3
The
he bulk nature (on average 350kg/m ) of the by-product;
The large volume of space it occupies;
occupies and
The relatively short time before spoilage (shelf-life
(shelf
is typically seven days).
The Challenge owner
wner currently does not discard any by-product
by
through waste disposal or similar means. All
by-products are sold to third parties, and are subsequently used in the production of animal feed.
Transporting by-product
product from the mill sites does not require specialised permits or vehicles, but transport
operators need to take appropriate care given the peculiar piling angle and flow characteristics that bulk by
byproduct takes on when amassed into heaps.
Possible approaches
The following are examples of potential outcomes or products that could be considered:
Fortified foods:



Create high-protein
protein flour for the food industry by stabilising the bran/germ and mixing the end
product into other flour products;
products
Produce essential / ethical / bio-oils;
bio
and
Production of fortified foods (e.g. high vitamin A content).
Green materials:


Manufacture cardboard from chop that renders a biodegradable and environmenta
environmentally friendly
packaging material; and
Produce biodegradable containers such as those used for potting of plants.
Green energy:

Transform by-product through additional compressing or similar processes into an efficient and
environmentally friendly energy source.
This list of examples is not exhaustive, but is rather demonstrative of the range of potential solutions.
Evaluation criteria
Solutions are open to anyone with the necessary insight into the bulk nature and bio
bio-characteristics of the
Challenge owner’s by-product
product and consequent commercial needs, as well as the ability to implement a
solution that offers a fully outsourced result. Additional criteria include:









The scientific and/or technical merit and the ability of the proposed solution to meet the stated
specifications;
The presentation, motivation and data to support all scientific and/or technical claims;
The stage of readiness of the proposed solution;
solution
If at an early stage of readiness (e.g. post-science
post
but not yet commercialised, also called proofof-concept stage), then inclusion of supporting information that outlines the proposed process,
costs, timeliness and risks involved in transforming the current idea to the point of final solution;
Outline of the intended operational process and subsequent business process
processes informing the
way the by-product
product will be processed/beneficiated into a higher value product than current
revenues from sell-off
off to animal feed producers;
Outline of the business case including projected revenues and investment required to achieve net
gains to the Challenge owner;
wner;
rd
Communication and explanation of any associated proprietary or 3 party intellectual property
aspects involved in the proposed solution;
The ability of the respondent to work successfully in a team with the Challenge owner’s staff; and
The capability and experience of the respondent and associated track record.
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