Barley Revived is our latest circular economy product, born from a straightforward observation. Viking Malt’s production lines generate surplus barley malt of prime quality that was previously destined for waste disposal. Now, it’s redirected into the food chain as a high-quality barley malt extract.
Barley Revived performs like a conventional light malt extract and can be used in the same applications from baking and brewing to other food and beverage production where malt extract is a standard ingredient. The colour specification is broader than for malt extracts made with virgin raw materials, but quality is on par.
Where does the raw material come from for Barley Revived?
When Viking Malt switches from one malt variety to another on a packaging line, the line must be flushed. This flushing batch is perfectly good barley but because it contains two different malt varieties mixed together, it couldn’t be used in standard production and went to waste.
How to standardise an inherently variable stream?
Since the raw material is a surplus stream, it is never quite the same twice. Malt grades, malting degrees, and colour can all vary from batch to batch. Getting the final extract to a consistent, predictable quality was the biggest technical challenge of the project.
The solution came from two directions. First, we went through the raw material portfolio together with Viking Malt and set clear boundaries for what would be accepted into the stream: barley malt only, no unwanted fractions, and a defined colour specification. This narrowed the variability at the source.
Second, we refined our mashing programme, which converts malt into wort. By adjusting the programme based on what batches are available and in what quantities, colour variation in the raw material can be compensated for during production. This matters because colour and flavour are closely linked: when colour is on target, flavour follows.
An unexpected advantage in form of a rare mill
Barley Revived is initiallly processed on Senson’s specialty mill. It’s one of only four in the world. It’s a prototype technology that is no longer manufactured, and it proved to be a surprising asset in this project.
Standard brewing processes demand high homogeneity from raw materials. This specialty mill tolerates less uniform input and can process it into a high-quality finished product. Without this line, Barley Revived would not be possible.
– In my opinion the greatest success in this process is that we’re rescuing ever more prime material and converting what used to go to waste into food, says Senson’s CEO Pontus Forth.
Why circular economy is a strategic choice for us
Barley Revived was not born out of cost savings. It is part of Senson’s ambitious emissions targets for 2027 and a critical action in achieving them. Every tonne redirected from waste into a product is a concrete step forward.
The regulatory landscape is also moving in this direction. In September 2025, the EU adopted Directive (EU) 2025/1892, which introduces binding food waste reduction targets for the first time: a 10% cut in food waste in processing and manufacturing by 2030. For companies across the food supply chain, this means waste prevention can no longer be voluntary — it requires measurable action and data to back it up.
Barley Revived is exactly this kind of action. By redirecting surplus malt from incineration into a food-grade product, we are already working toward the type of outcomes the Directive calls for.