Last year, the United States imported more than 15,000 tons of chia from Peru that equal about $30 million US dollars.
This makes the US the main buyer in the world, according to Modor Intelligence, cited by Gestión, and Peru is its fifth largest supplier with 8.4% of its imports, the Commercial Office of Peru in New York reported.
“According to Future Market Insights, due to the high demand for natural products and various health benefits, the consumption of this product in the United States would reach 50,000 tons per year before 2025”, the media explained.
This seed is native to Mexico. It belongs to the mint family and owes its name to a Mayan word that means strength. “Since ancient times, chia has been used by the Mayan and Aztec civilizations”, according to Gestión.
Chia offers a high content of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, and they are considered as one of the highest concentrations of Omega 3 acids offered by nature.
The seed also offers a good portion of antioxidants, vitamins A, C and B, as well as mineral salts, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and copper.
The five main suppliers of chia in the United States according to market share are Colombia (16.5%), Argentina (15.7%), Costa Rica (14%), Uruguay (8.9%) and Peru (8.4%).
