Quinoa (keen wah) Updates!

I never expected such a thorough and prompt response to my Quinoa (keen wah) question, but Sergio from Andean Natural gave a very complete answer.

Andean Natural said...

Hello, I represent a group of farmers in Bolivia growing quinoa. We work with 4 processing plants.

In order to assure that our quinoa is gluten-free, we make sure that:
- the fields that we grow quinoa on have not had wheat for the past 3-4 years (this is mostly easy for us since wheat does not grow well in the quinoa fields)
- The processing plants are dedicated- they do not process or store any wheat or wheat products or anything besides quinoa (ok, we do have one that stores sesame- but that is gluten-free as well)
- We run ELISA tests regularly to check for gluten in our product
- We clean the containers to make sure that if they ever had wheat that there is no chance of contamination
- We pack our quinoa in triple paper bags to avoid contamination in handling or even at our clients storage.

Quinoa is naturally gluten-free (it is a seed from a chenopod, not a grass-type plant) and we do our best to keep it that way for our clients.

All this said, we are importers and wholesalers, so we do not know how our product is handled once it leaves our hands. For example, a healthfood store may place our quinoa in a bulk bin that had Kamut before, without thoroughly washing and drying the that bin.

My advice would be to investigate the brand that you are using- call the manufacturer, ask if they were packed in a gluten-free plant. You even have the right to ask for allergen statements on the quinoa. Wheat is an allergen, so it is the duty of the processor or raw material provider to give you this info.

Sorry for the information overload, but it pains me to hear that gluten-allergic consumers shy away from quinoa because the product is not handled right somewhere along the chain.

Finally, quinoa is sometimes not washed well by processors in Bolivia or Peru. So it is important that you rinse your quinoa well- it you see some suds it means the quinoa still has saponins- which in quantity can cause stomach cramps. Generally you can taste the quinoa that has saponin- it leaves a bitter after taste in your mouth.

-Sergio

And then Cliff, having seen Sergio's response went ahead and clarified how we handle Quinoa (it's one of the few things that I haven't made)

just so all you folks know,

the quinoa we purchase at sacred chow is thoroughly washed of saponin before we cook it down for you to consume. however, i need to check out the brand that we use and its distribution chain for allergens. we will keep you updated, for this is the only way the quinoa we use could be causing problems. this way, we will know for sure. please know that we are taking all steps to assure that your experience with sacred chow is comfortable and satisfying in every way possible.

the sacred chow vow mandates that sacred chow provide you with sustainable and balanced food choices.

you have our vow!

talk to us, tell us and we will find the answer together.

thank you dino for being so smart for raising our awareness on this topic! maggie too!

and thank you sergio! your edifying information is vital in our search to finding the answer to dino's blog question.

all best,
cliff