JEROME, IDAHO, US — Scoular is expected to begin manufacturing its new barley-based protein for feed product, Emerge, in September 2021.

The new product is both traceable and non-GMO.

“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 this demand for the feed ingredient supply chain.”

Emerge will be geared toward aquaculture and pet food products. According to Scoular, the barley-based protein source is highly digestible, helping to reduce phosphate discharge and water pollution in aquaculture. 

Rendering of the Emerge production facility currently under construction in Jerome, Idaho, US.

For pet food, it delivers a neutral flavor and natural color. In dog feeding trials measuring palatability, it was equal or superior to both animal and vegetable protein sources, the company said.

Olson said Emerge is created through a patented process that concentrates the protein naturally found in whole barley kernels, creating a nutrient-dense product.

Privately-owned Scoular has more than 100 grain storage and processing facilities in the United States and Asia. It is the 11th largest grain company in the United States, as measured by grain-storage capacity. According to the 2020 Grain & Milling Annual published by Sosland Publishing Co., Scoular has 131 million bushels of storage capacity in the United States.