By Joshua Kato
Brewer’s spent yeast solution, also known as residual yeast is the second biggest by-product of the brewing process (15% of total by-products generated). Brewer’s spent yeast is a prevalent by-product of the brewing industry, created when the yeast used in fermentations is no longer useful and must be disposed of.
Brewer’s yeast effluent poses a danger to the environment, hence requiring an immediate practical and if possible, useful disposal solution. Currently, the most well-known and commonly used outlet for brewer’s spent yeast is as a constituent of animal feeds, mainly as a cheap source of protein (45–60%) as well as a source of minerals and B vitamins.
· The spent yeast solution can be incorporated as a wet slurry before feeding. The addition of yeast solution to animal feeds has been shown to have positive effects on feed quality and feed utilization including increased milk production and improved digestion.
· The addition of yeast into the diet of an animal for meat production can have a positive effect on meat quality. An increase in positive meat performance indicators was observed, including body weight, daily gains, growth rate, muscle dimension and fat thickness.
· Brewer’s spent yeast solution as animal feed has also been considered in aquaculture. Aquafeeds are generally heavily reliant on marine ingredients such as fish meal and oils
