JEROME, IDAHO — Scoular has given an official name to its upcoming barley protein concentrate (BCP) ingredient: Emerge™. Emerge will serve as a sustainable, traceable and non-GMO protein alternative for pet food and aquaculture manufacturers, and “the only barley-based protein for feed customers,” according to the company.

“As the demand for clean-label protein grows, both the aquaculture and pet food industries are seeking alternative and sustainable plant-based protein sources,” said JC Olson, manager at Scoular. “Emerge is a high-quality ingredient to meet the demand for the feed ingredient supply chain.”

Scoular announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Montana Microbial Products in June 2020, through which the two companies will produce and market barley protein concentrate for use in pet food and aquaculture feed. These ingredient solutions will be available to North American and Asian processors.

In August 2020, Scoular announced Jerome as the chosen location for the $13 million BPC facility. Mass production of Emerge is expected to begin in September, following the completion of the Jerome facility.

Barley is an ancient grain grown and harvested in areas that do not contribute to deforestation, and contributes to water conservation systems, Scoular stated, making it more sustainable than traditional protein sources for pet food.

Scoular pointed to feeding trials conducted with its Emerge barley ingredient, reporting its palatability performs equally or exceeds that of other animal and vegetable protein sources.Emerge, Scoular's barley-based protein alternative for feed

The company uses a patented process to produce Emerge. The process concentrates protein naturally found in whole kernels of barley, which results in an ingredient that is nutrient-dense.

Scoular has recently expanded its presence in the pet food ingredient space. The company began operations at its $50 million freeze-dried ingredient production plant in Seward, Neb., in October 2020. This business segment, Petsource by Scoular, develops, procures, freeze-dries and packages whole organ meats and meat analogues specifically for pet food manufacturers.

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