Kentucky food technology company Meridian Biotech plans to establish a new facility that will turn byproducts from a nearby distillery into a range of new products.
Kentucky officials said that the Lexington company would invest $40 million in its new site in Frankfort — the home of project partner Buffalo Trace Distillery. Meridian plans to turn waste from the Buffalo Trace facility into proteins, which could then be converted into aquaculture products, pet foods or organic fertilizer.
Meridian, founded in 2017, says it aims to develop sustainable innovations to combat food challenges amid global population growth. The project marks the first biotech investment in Franklin County, officials added.
Construction is slated to begin later this year, and the project is expected to create 35 jobs.
“By reimagining distillery stillage as a resource rather than a byproduct, we’re pioneering new pathways in biotechnology that have the potential to transform the spirits industry,” Meridian President Brandon Corace said in a statement.
