The Role of Malting and Brewer’s Spent Grain in Sustainable Cereal Utilization

Malting is a sustainable, low-cost, and adaptable technique that enhances the nutritional and functional value of cereals while contributing to waste reduction, improved food safety, and the valorization of brewing by-products such as brewers' spent grain. It was originally developed for barley but is now used with a wide range of cereals. Malting, in its simplest form, involves controlled germination and drying, which enhance enzyme activity and improve grain nutritional quality. Our review introduces a broader perspective by addressing how malting can enhance health benefits through malted forms of both common and less prominent cereals such as sorghum, teff, millet, triticale, quinoa, and buckwheat. Nutritional enhancement takes place by increasing nutrient bioavailability, changing chemical composition, and reducing antinutrients, while inducing the production of bioactive compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic activities. This review examines brewers' spent grain (BSG), a nutrient-dense brewing by-product that is widely recognized as a sustainable ingredient for food and nutrition applications.