Biova Project: against food waste, beer brewed with unsold bread from Milanese bakers
Biova, the circular economy beer that gives new life to unsold bread before it becomes waste for disposal, is born. Not everyone knows, but certainly can imagine that bread is one of the food productions in Italy of which the risk of waste is highest. Yes, it’s true, every year in Italy 13,000 quintals of bread being wasted, a large part of which is unsold. There are more than 150 kg of bread recovered in each Biova’s Cooked Beer!
From waste we can generate new value! This is the idea behind Biova, the circular economy project that transforms food surplus into products with new value
Where did beer made from bread begin?
Biova Project beer was born in Piedmont, between Turin and the Occitan valleys. Founded in November 2019 by Franco Di Pietro and Emanuela Barbano, it is the food innovation startup with a mission to reduce food waste for the planet by creating ever-new products with high added value: both taste and economic and social.
The idea came from a long journey within non-profit organizations concerned with combating food waste, with the intention of creating a business model that is both economically and ecologically sustainable.
Biova Project has developed Italy’s first anti-waste beer range, complemented by Ri-Snack, Italy’s first circular economy snack, which is also capable of reducing brewing waste.
Why is Biova a sustainable beer?
Biova Project’s beer was born from the discovery that by using reclaimed bread there is a 30 percent decrease in barley malt used in production by Biova’s master brewers, resulting in a reduced environmental impact. The result is a beer with a slightly savory taste and with only 5 very simple ingredients: water, malt, bread, hops and yeast. Project’s beer was born from the discovery that by using reclaimed bread there is a 30 percent decrease in barley malt used in production by Biova’s master brewers, resulting in a reduced environmental impact. The result is a beer with a slightly savory taste and with only 5 very simple ingredients: water, malt, bread, hops and yeast.
The Biova beer brewing process has a Life Cycle with a significantly lower CO2 impact than traditional brewing: both because of the use of a material that would otherwise have to be disposed of, and because of the savings in energy, water and significantly less land use due to the non-use of barley malt.
Biova Beer arrives in Milan
Biova Project has also recently arrived in Milan, May 2022. The innovative start-up deals with the fight against food waste and thus launches a new territorial project in the Milanese capital as well: not one beer but as many as three beers made with unsold bread from bakers in the city of Milan. They are La Gialla, La Rossa and La Verde – three craft beer references made with the bread that, at the end of the day, remained unsold on the shelves.
Biova Project. Reclaiming bread, here’s to the world.
Biova Project has formed a partnership with the Bakers‘ Association of Confcommercio Milan and Provinces, engaging the associated bakery world to give bread that remains ownerless at the end of the day so that it can be picked up and brewed by Biova Project.
Biova Milan Beers: La Gialla, La Rossa, La Verde
Biova Milano is a range of three craft beer references:
- La Gialla – a 4.7° alcohol low fermentation helles beer -20% of unsold bread from Milanese bakers. Clean and golden in color, with delicate bread flavor and soft, dry finish. Subtle spicy and floral hopiness. Light bitterness, which helps maintain the malty balance. Milanese bakers’ bread enhances its hints of bread crust and adds a touch of savoriness, due precisely to the bread salt.
- La Rossa – a 6.3° bock beer, made from 30% unsold bread from Milanese bakers. Bright amber in color. The star on the palate is definitely the cereal and in particular the bread crust flavor. Delicate savory touch due to the release of salt present in the bread.
- La Verde – a 3.7° session IPA, brewed with 22% unsold bread from Milanese bakers. Fragrant and light, with a low alcohol content. Low calories are matched by a strong, lingering flavor of citrusy, fresh hops, making it easy-drinking and refreshing. Dry hopping gives it smells of citrus and fresh fruit, with a hint of salt that comes from the bread of Milanese bakeries.
Let’s turn the economy around. Circular.
Biova Milano will be on sale in all the bakeries that have contributed unsold bread, more than 10 in Milan, and distributed in ho.re.ca. by Sofismi-a city distributor-who will bring it to the best bars and restaurants throughout the city.
Bakers and partners:
Bread for Biova Milano was recovered from the following bakers:
- La Panetteria di Cunsolo Matteo & C
- Panificio Giussani
- Forno Ambrosiano
- Panificio Cecconello
- Panificio Davide Longoni
- Conad di via Padova
- Conad di via della Ferrera
- Il Forno di Via Commenda (Di Liddo)
- Dolce & Salato
The local ambassadors
- Mag cafè
- Longoni
- Mercato Centrale
To know more about Biova Beers and discover also the eshop the website is www.biovaproject.com