Abstract
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is native to the Andean region and has attracted a global growing interest due its unique nutritional value. The protein content of quinoa grains is higher than other cereals while it has better distribution of essential amino acids. It can be used as an alternative to milk proteins. Additionally, quinoa contains a high amount of essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, dietary fibers, and carbohydrates with beneficial hypoglycemic effects while being gluten-free. Furthermore, the quinoa plant is resistant to cold, salt, and drought, which leaves no doubt as to why it has been called the “golden grain”. On that account, production of quinoa and its products followed an increasing trend that gained attraction in 2013, as it was proclaimed to be the international year of quinoa. In this respect, this review provides an overview of the published results regarding the nutritional and biological properties of quinoa that have been cultivated in different parts of the world during the last two decades. This review sheds light on how traditional quinoa processing and products evolved and are being adopted into novel food processing and modern food products, as well as noting the potential of side stream processing of quinoa by-products in various industrial sectors. Furthermore, this review moves beyond the technological aspects of quinoa production by addressing the socio-economic and environmental challenges of its production, consumption, and marketizations to reflect a holistic view of promoting the production and consumption of quinoa.
Highlights
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a herbaceous plant, a tetraploid and halophytic crop
This was further merged with a keyword search that included (Quinoa market OR Hybrid Economy OR producer and consumer welfare OR Outlook, Neo-liberalism OR Sustainability OR Functional food product development)
Vega-Gálvez et al reported that mineral concentrations seem to change drastically when quinoa is cultivated in different soil types— with particular mineral compositions—and fertilizer application [25]
Summary
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a herbaceous plant, a tetraploid and halophytic crop. Quinoa can offer a rich and nutritional diet that is low cost, especially in areas where growing other nutritious crops might not be very feasible This creates a conundrum between balancing the safety (regarding nutrition, economic, and environmental sustainability) of indigenous regions, and the improvement of food security across the world. Considering the importance of post-harvest processing in preservation of the nutritional attributes of quinoa, extension of quinoa seed shelf life and its products, and the development of various quinoa food products, the following section of this review focuses on the traditional and new technological processes which have been used for post-harvest processing of quinoa as well as side stream processing of by-products of quinoa production and processing These methods come with consequences, and as such the last part of this paper reviews the emerging issues around marketization choices, social, and ecological features that can follow. The aim is to provide a complete review of quinoa’s production and consumption ends that will help rationalize the decision-making process around its use
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