“Benexia Chia Seed has received Novel Food status in the EU for use in bread application, after much persistence and investment,” according to Dean Mosca, president of Proprietary Nutritionals, Inc., exclusive marketer of Benexia™ Chia Seed.  “Plans are now underway to expand the applications permitted as well as the Chia products that can be used. Currently the only Chia seed permissible for sale in the EU, Benexia seed will stay in the forefront of approved applications and types of Chia products that can be sold.”

The dossier was introduced in 2006 by the Columbus Paradigm Institute S.A. in collaboration with a Chilean company, Functional Products Trading S.A., which grows and commercializes Benexia Chia Seed.   

The popularity of whole grains is opening up doors for more novel, flavourful and lesser known types of grain. The newest star to emerge in the world of ancient grains is Chia.

Cultivated by the ancient Aztecs as a high-energy, endurance food, Chia is one of the richest plant sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to promote cardiovascular health. It also contains high levels of fibre, easy-to-digest protein, amino acids, vitamins, calcium and other minerals. Plus, it offers outstanding antioxidant value – Chia has a higher ORAC value than fresh blueberries.

Benexia is available as flour (defatted bran), oil, water-soluble Omega-3 microencapsulated powder or as bulk, sprouted or milled seed, to meet the needs of the food and nutraceuticals industry.  

Adding Benexia Chia to food or beverages gives them an excellent/upgraded nutritional profile without compromising taste. It incorporates easily into a variety of foods, including baked goods, snacks, bars and drink mixes.

Benexia Chia Seed is the only quality-certified Chia on the market, grown under Good Agricultural Practices (GLOBAL-GAP), and carefully selected under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and has achieved HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) international quality standards.

As a partner of the Columbus Paradigm Institute, Benexia offers food companies the opportunity to upgrade their branded products to a Columbus Concept Standard product, the healthiest scientifically validated category of food products.

Chia Seed has been rediscovered through a project sponsored by public and private U.S. and Argentinean organizations, intended to identify and produce alternative crops at an industrial scale to improve the economy for farmers in the Argentinean Northwestern region.

The project commenced in 1991; the Chia seed was chosen because of its exceptional nutritional properties.  After more than 15 years of careful seed selection, Benexia gathers today these farmers in the world's largest and most effective Chia organization, with unlimited production-expansion capacity anchored by considerable expertise.

Proprietary Nutritionals, Inc., a subsidiary of Pharmachem Laboratories, Inc., is located in Kearny, NJ.  PNI markets a variety of  patented, scientifically proven, branded ingredients to the nutrition industry, including Celadrin® Joint Flexibility & Relief, Perluxan®, a hops extract, Sytrinol® Healthy Heart,  and the Berry-Max® line of potent berry concentrates, including Cran-Max®, Blue-Max®, Bil-Max®, Elder-Max®, Cherry-Max®, and Pom-Max®. For further information, please visit www.benexia.com or contact info@pnibrands.com.