Mzansi beer brand, Castle Lager, has launched a new initiative that repurposes by-products from its beer brewing process to produce bread that is high in fibre, sustainable, and a source of protein.
The initiative, called “Bread of the Nation,” forms part of Castle Lager’s Better World programme, which aims to contribute to the brand’s sustainability commitments.
The brewery will use locally grown grains to brew its beer and will repurpose the by-product of the brewing process to produce approximately 30 000 loaves of bread for communities across the country. Castle Lager has teamed up with The Health Food Company, a bakery company, to produce the bread.
Wendy Bedforth, Castle Lager brand director, explained that the initiative is part of their commitment to “reshape and rebuild a better South Africa”. The brand has been a symbol of resilience and unity for over 127 years and aims to contribute meaningfully to South African Breweries and Castle Lager’s zero-waste and sustainability commitments.
On a mission to end hunger
Castle Lager has partnered with a non-governmental food-rescue organisation, SA Harvest, which will distribute the bread through its network of over 200 beneficiary organisations around the country. SA Harvest’s mission is to end hunger in South Africa, and it has delivered 38.6 million meals since its inception in October 2019 by rescuing 11.6 million kilograms of food that would otherwise go to waste.
Alan Browde, CEO and founder of SA Harvest, commented that the initiative represents the kind of innovation needed to solve hunger in South Africa. Over 20 million people in South Africa are classified as food vulnerable, while 10.3 million tonnes of food go to waste every year. Repurposing by-products that would otherwise contribute to climate change into a nutritious means of feeding those in need is a crucial step in reducing food insecurity in the country.
Castle Lager envisages running Bread of the Nation for three years to assess its feasibility. Bedforth added that the initiative speaks to the brand’s commitment to using the goodness within South African Breweries and Castle Lager to fuel the South African spirit.
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