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Beneficiation of Germ and Bran 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: openix@theinnovationhub.com
Challenge owner: Anonymous
Business opportunity: Become a preferred supplier and/or
joint venture partner to the Challenge owner that may offer
significant opportunities to share in the long-term growth and
rollout across existing and new mills; outright rights purchase
or licensing will also be considered.
Technology maturity: The Challenge owner is seeking
commercialised (or close to commercialised) solutions
requiring minimum inputs and involvement of the Challenge
owner. This requires a full value chain approach favouring a
complete outsourced solution that could be implemented onsite 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 of potential
solution (6-12 months)
Phase 3: Evaluation (in parallel with phase 2)
Phase 4: Solution acquisition and rollout
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 as an ingredient for animal feed, and is looking for a partner capable of
developing, testing and implementing a higher value adding business model for this resource.
Background
High protein wheat germ and bran are produced as by-products in the milling of wheat and maize. The byproduct is a clean biological material safe for human consumption, and typically has the following content
characteristics:
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8% fat;
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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 particles (pollards) are used internally for existing products. Each mill generates, per
month, approximately 13 000 tons of by-product from the milling of wheat, and 10 000 tons of by-product from
maize.
All by-product not re-used by the mills has to be continuously removed from the site in full. This is due to:
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The rate of production of the by-product, e.g. 500 tonnes per day in maize milling;
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The bulk nature (on average 350kg/m ) of the by-product;
The large volume of space it occupies; and
The relatively short time before spoilage (shelf-life is typically seven days).
The Challenge owner currently does not discard any by-product 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 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 byproduct takes on when amassed into heaps.
Possible approaches
The following are examples of potential outcomes or products that could be considered:
Fortified foods:
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Create high-protein flour for the food industry by stabilising the bran/germ and mixing the end
product into other flour products;
Produce essential / ethical / bio-oils; and
Production of fortified foods (e.g. high vitamin A content).
Green materials:
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Manufacture cardboard from chop that renders a biodegradable and environmentally friendly
packaging material; and
Produce biodegradable containers such as those used for potting of plants.
Green energy:
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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-characteristics of the
Challenge owner’s by-product and consequent commercial needs, as well as the ability to implement a
solution that offers a fully outsourced result. Additional criteria include:
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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;
If at an early stage of readiness (e.g. post-science 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 processes informing the
way the by-product will be processed/beneficiated into a higher value product than current
revenues from sell-off to animal feed producers;
Outline of the business case including projected revenues and investment required to achieve net
gains to the Challenge owner;
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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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