Chapters 8.29
8.29-Quinoa Value Addition
Laura Palmer, University of Guelph, Canada
Suggested citation for this chapter.
Palmer,L. (2022) Quinoa Value Addition,In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org
Crop Background
Quinoa is believed to have been domesticated 7000 years ago in the Andean region (Bazile, Jacobsen, & Verniau, 2016). Today it is cultivated in the Andean highlands across Peru and Bolivia (Cancino-Espinoza, Vazquez-Rowe, & Quispe, 2018). Quinoa has adapted well to harsh growing conditions such as water deficits, cold temperatures, salinity and poor soils (María Reguera, 2018). Andean indigenous peoples have maintained, controlled, protected and preserved the natural state of quinoa through traditional practices (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). Quinoa is a starchy dicotyledonous seed that is high in protein (G.S. Ranhotra, 1993). The grain is high in energy, fiber and high-quality protein while also being high in iron, potassium and essential amino acids (María Reguera, 2018)(Pirjo Mattila, 2018). In fact, quinoa contains both higher protein concentrations and amino acid composition than major cereals (Ogungbenle, 2003). Due to its high nutrient value, the grain is often referred to as a superfood which has been increasing in popularity over the past few years (María Reguera, 2018). For years, quinoa has been used for breads and porridges but as interest in the new superfood increases there seems to be many new uses for the plant (Wageningen University & Research, 2017).
Value Addition
Quinoa flour
The most realistic way to add value to quinoa crops would be to use the quinoa in other food products. In a recent study evaluating the nutritional value of protein rich plants, it was noted that pearled quinoa had less protein, ash, fat and dietary fiber compared to whole quinoa (Pirjo Mattila, 2018). While the outer layer of the seed is bitter-tasting, it can be removed to improve taste and maintain the same function (Ogungbenle, 2003). Quinoa can be transformed into flour and be used in combination with traditional wheat flour to enhance nutritional value. Studies have proven that quinoa flour has higher levels of carbohydrates, fibre and maltose than cereal flours (Ogungbenle, 2003).
Organic quinoa retails at anywhere between $1.35 and $5.94 per 100 g of flour compared to whole quinoa prices ranging from $0.84 to $3.76 per 100 g according to healthyprice.ca, a website that compares price across brands and retailers. It is pretty clear that by processing the quinoa into flour, the producers turn a significant profit compared to selling it unprocessed. Based on prices from Alibaba.com, a high efficiency peeling quinoa seeds flour processing mill retails for approximately four thousand US dollars. This mill produces 200-300 kg of flour per hour or, up to six hundred and sixty pounds of quinoa flour per hour. This high tech machine is rather expensive and hence is most realistic for cooperatives or farmer organizations, but fortunately, quinoa flour can also be produced with simple food processors. These food processors are approximately $25US according to Alibaba.com.
In order to grind quinoa seeds to produce quinoa flour, the quinoa must undergo several post harvest steps (López, Capparelli, & Nielsen, 2011). First, quinoa is parched for approximately 3 minutes, then after parching the quinoa undergoes treading to remove the pericarp of the seed (López, Capparelli, & Nielsen, 2011). After treading, winnowing of the seeds occur, wherein the seeds are poured on an awayo as a gentle breeze blows over the seeds; after the first round of winnowing, treading and winnowing occurs again (López, Capparelli, & Nielsen, 2011). Once treading and winnowing occur twice, the quinoa seeds are ready for rinsing and rubbing; the rinsing helps to remove the saponins and the rubbing helps to erode any remaining pericarp from the grains (López, Capparelli, & Nielsen, 2011). After rinsing and rubbing, the seeds are dried in the sun on an awayo. Now that the seeds are dried, they are winnowed one more time and stored away (López, Capparelli, & Nielsen, 2011).
Quinoa flour would be a high profit commodity for producers once the investment in machinery is paid off. The quinoa flour could be marketed as a gluten free option for those who are gluten intolerant and also as a high nutrient substitute for wheat flour. Quinoa flour would be simple to package as it just needs to be weighed and put in a bag. The cost of packaging quinoa flour is pretty low cost, as it only requires a bag and a label; bags are approximately three cents each on Alibaba.com. Quinoa has a shelf life of approximately 2-3 years (Quinoa Seeds Storage Guide, 2017).
Quinoa baked goods
Quinoa flour can be sold directly as flour or, the producers could add further value to their product by using the flour in baked goods. In South America, it is very popular to cook with quinoa. A simple way producers could add value to their quinoa is using quinoa flour in baking bread. Baking bread with quinoa flour requires only a few simple ingredients and very little machinery. The bread can be made with flour, water, yeast, salt, butter, sugar and eggs (Salazar, 2017). The only technology required to make quinoa bread is an oven for baking, while the rest of the preparation can be done by hand. Producers could sell their quinoa flour bread in local markets, grocery stores, and tourist hotels. Quinoa bread would be easy to package in simple bags and market as fresh baked bread. The cost of quinoa bread varies from $4 per loaf and up in Canada. Quinoa bread is very common in South America and would require little marketing. Quinoa baking could be marketed as a gluten free option to many baked goods purchased by foreign tourists at hotels and restaurants.
Quinoa-based meals
Producers could also use the quinoa to produce other meals to be sold at local markets and grocery stores as quinoa is a staple in many diets in the Andes region. Common quinoa based meals include quinoa salad, quinoa empanadas and quinoa soups. All of these recipes would be more work for the producer and require more inputs along the lines of machinery, ingredients and labour however, they could be offered at a higher price in local markets and stores.
Quinoa beer
Quinoa producers could also add value to their quinoa crop by brewing beer with quinoa as opposed to wheat. This provides a gluten free alternative to beer. Quinoa beer is brewed with pearl quinoa, malted barley, corn, hops, natural pure water and occasionally fruits for flavour (Cusequena, 2018). The production of quinoa beer follows the same basic process as regular beer including malting, milling, lautering, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, filtering and packaging. Bottling the beer would require the purchase of bottles but barley-based beer bottles are common in developing nations. A bottling system would also be quite expensive for smallholder farmers. The price of bottling systems varies but there are less expensive, semi automatic versions on Alibaba.com for about $1325 USD or it could be done completely manually if sold immediately and sterilization is not required. Quinoa beer would be quite profitable for the producer however it requires a lot of equipment and machinery,
Analysis
There are many ways in which quinoa producers can add value to their crops. With the purchase of some simple milling equipment, producers can be selling quinoa flour at a significant profit based on prices from Alibababa.com. Quinoa flour could be sold locally and internationally as the popularity of the super food continues to grow. Producers also have the option of spending more on inputs and technologies and producing baked goods with their quinoa flour. These baked goods would likely be most profitable when sold locally at markets. Producers also have the option of using their quinoa to create quinoa based meals. These meals could also be sold locally however they would be less profitable for the consumer than the flour or baked goods as they require more machinery, labour and inputs. Producers could also decide to enter a niche market and produce quinoa beer. This beer would require a large investment in machinery and it would require other expensive ingredients. All of these quinoa products could be marketed as gluten free for those with dietary restrictions and all of these products have the potential to be exported and sold internationally if smallholder farmers were given the opportunity to collaborate with larger quinoa producers.
Helpful links and resources to get started
References
1. Bazile, D., Jacobsen, S.-E., & Verniau, A. (2016). The Global Expansion of Quinoa: Trends and Limits. Frontiers in Plant Science , 7, 622.
2. Cancino-Espinoza, E., Vazquez-Rowe, I., & Quispe, I. (2018). Organic Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa L.) Production in Peru: Environmental Hotspots and Food Security Considerations Using Life Cycle Assessment. Science of the Total Environment , 637, 221-232.
3. Cusqueña. (n.d.). Cervesa Premium Peruana Cusqueña. Retrieved 2018, from Cusqueña: https://www.cusquena.com/
4. D.M. Salazar, M. N. (2017). Development Of Newly Enriched Bread With Quinoa Flour and Whey. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science , 77. 12018.
5. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2015). West and Central African Countries Build Capacity in Quinoa Production and Post-harvest Management. FAO Regional Office for Africa: http://www.fao.org/africa/news/detail-news/en/c/280315/
6. G.S. Ranhotra, J. G. (1993). Composition and Protein Nutritional Quality of Quinoa. Cereal Chemistry , 70 (3), 303-305.
7. López, L. M., Capparelli, A., & Nielsen, A. (2011). Traditional post-harvest processing to make quinoa grains (Chenopodium quinoa var. quinoa) apt for consumption in Northern Lipez (Potosí, Bolivia): ethnoarchaeological and archaeobotanical analyses. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences , 3 (1), 49-70.
8. Ogungbenle, H. (2003). Nutritional Evaluation and Functional Properties of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) Flour. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 54, 153-158.
9. Mattila, P. et al. (2018). Nutritional Value of Commerical Protein-Rich Plant Products. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition , 73, 108-115.
10. “Quinoa.” Wageningen University & Research, 2017, www.wur.nl/en/show/Quinoa-1.htm.
11. Quinoa Seeds Storage Guide. (2017). Retrieved 2018, from Quinoa Expert: https://quinoa.expert/?p=354
12. Reguera, M. et al. (2018). The Impact of Different Agroecological Conditions on the Nutritional Composition of Quinoa Seeds. PeerJ 6:e26439v1. https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.26439v1