Format:
5 kg bag
25 kg bag
Harinas Polo Ground Chia Seed: Technical Evaluation and Processing Impact in the Food Industry.
The use of ground chia seeds has gained undeniable prominence in the formulation of advanced bakery products, healthy cookies, and nutritional supplements. The physical milling process breaks the seed's tough outer shell, immediately releasing its essential nutrients and significantly optimizing its functional properties within the dough. Harinas Polo’s Ground Chia Seed is a premium ingredient sourced from selected crops in Central and South America (primarily Paraguay and Argentina).
In line with global Clean Label standards, this ingredient is 100% free from artificial additives or genetically modified organisms. According to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/24, its use in baked goods, breakfast cereals, and seed mixes is subject to a maximum usage restriction of 10% in the final formulation. It is supplied as crushed chia seeds that are predominantly black (with grey, brown, and white hues), featuring an aroma and flavor that are characteristic and free from off-notes.
Nutritional Analysis (100g).
Detailed profile based on our high-purity chia seed:
| Component Analytical | Average value per 100 g | Functionality and Impact on Rheological Mapping |
| Fats | 35.00 g | High free lipid content; lubricates the dough and makes the crumb structure more flexible. |
| Saturated | 3.25 g | Minimal, intrinsic saturated fatty acids in chia. |
| Monounsaturated | 2.26 g | Native monounsaturated fraction of the seed. |
| Polyunsaturated | 29.19 g | Exceptionally high concentration of healthy lipids, rich in essential fatty acids. |
| Carbohydrates | 33.20 g | Total carbohydrates available for the dry extract. |
| Of which sugars | 0.76 g | Minimal natural simple sugars; prevents excessive browning. |
| Fiber | 32.00 g | Exceptionally high fiber fraction. The mucilages exposed during milling absorb up to 12 times their weight in water. |
| Proteins | 21.00 g | Free vegetable protein with high bioavailability that helps structure the crumb. |
| Ashes | 4.80 g | Characteristic residual mineral content of whole chia. |
| Water (Moisture) | 6.00 g | Optimal moisture content after industrial drying and grinding. |
| Salt / Sodium | 40.00 mg / 16.00 mg | Minimal native mineral micronutrients in plant tissue. |
| ENERGY VALUE | 461 Kcal / 1902 KJ | Official energy density required for the labeling of the finished bread. |
The impact is drastic and stems from the immediate release of the mucilages that make up the soluble fiber (32.00 g per 100 g). While the fiber in whole seeds is confined behind the seed coat, in ground chia the polysaccharides are exposed and act instantly as potent hydrocolloids, absorbing up to 12 times their weight in water. This massively increases the dough's water absorption, raising its consistency and viscosity. If the baker does not make a corresponding adjustment to the water content in the recipe, the dough will become excessively stiff, reducing the bread's final volume and disrupting normal gluten development during kneading.
The restriction imposed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/24—limiting the content in bakery products to a maximum of 10%—is based on EFSA food safety criteria regarding the acceptable daily intake and the ingredient's behavior under severe heat treatment. Given that ground chia has a high concentration of protein (21.0 g) and carbohydrates (33.2 g), uncontrolled addition exceeding 10% in areas exposed to high baking temperatures could increase the risk of forming unwanted compounds derived from the Maillard reaction (such as acrylamide), in addition to negatively altering the standardized organoleptic properties of the food product.
Despite having a very high polyunsaturated fatty acid content (29.19 g out of 35 g of total fat), ground chia possesses excellent natural oxidative stability. This is because the chia seed contains a native complex extremely rich in natural antioxidants (primarily phenolic compounds, flavonoids such as quercetin, and chlorogenic acids). When the seed is ground whole, these potent antioxidants disperse evenly alongside the released oil fraction, acting as free-radical scavengers and retarding lipid autoxidation. This ensures the product remains stable throughout its shelf life, provided it is stored in a cool, dry place in sealed multi-layer bags.
