Chia Seed Flour Targets Gluten Free

Nuchia Foods Corp. (Orlando, FL) has launched 100% Chia Seed Flour, a neutral-tasting flour that provides significant levels of omega-3 ALA and essential minerals and can be used to create gluten-free, wheat-free baked goods. The company says that cup for cup, the flour can replace wheat in recipes.

“Chia seed flour is a natural hydrocolloid and provides outstanding opportunities for manufacturers to create new varieties of wellness-oriented baked convenience foods,” says company president Homer Hartage.

The flour is made from partially defatted chia seeds using a supercritical CO2 extraction process. Proprietary blends of different mesh are used to create the delicate flour. The result is a milled, raw, whole-grain flour that can be used where gluten-free, low-carbohydrate, high-fiber, high-protein, clean-label, and high-omega-3 products are desired. Also, because of its high concentration of minerals, only a small percentage of the flour is needed to meet product claims, the company says.

“In our efforts to create the world’s best gluten-free flour that can replace wheat flour, cup for cup, and compete on taste, we can now offer a shelf-stable, versatile, and nutritionally dense food ingredient that can help stave off malnutrition,” Hartage adds.

The company cites chia seed as having an antioxidant ORAC value of 11,100 and providing 12 essential minerals. It says a 100-g serving yields 5.5 g of omega-3, 2 g of omega-6, 47 g of insoluble fiber, 830 mg of calcium, 910 mg of potassium, and 510 mg of magnesium.

In addition to 100% Chia Seed Flour, the company offers Nuchia Original Chia Seed Flour, which is a multigrain flour that includes organic brown rice flour and chia flour.