WHOLESALE SUPERFOOD INGREDIENTS in the spotlight
SACHA INCHI organic, high protein and omega 3
Superfood Ingredients’ Sacha Inchi products are the result of an innovative green-roots project established in the Peruvian Amazon. The partnering local communities, who work as a co-operative to grow the Sacha Inchi, are employing permacultivation techniques to regenerate areas of devastated Amazonian land so that these can eventually be returned to forest.
SUPERFOOD INGREDIENTS sacha inchi product formats
Our wholesale Sacha Inchi (sometimes also called Inca Inchi) products, are available in the following formats:
Powder: Organic Sacha Inchi Protein Powder
Seeds: Organic Toasted Sacha Inchi Seeds
Oil: Organic Cold Pressed Sacha Inchi Oil
Some further detail on each product format and their possible applications in the Food, Beverage, Nutraceutical and Cosmeceutical sectors is provided below.
Organic Sacha Inchi Protein Powder
Our Organic Sacha Inchi Protein Powder is ideal for applications in which a vegan and lightly processed protein source is desired. It is used in applications such as protein shakes, superfood treats, health supplements, smoothie mixes and baking. Its nutty flavour is mild, similar to that of almond meal. Our Sacha Inchi Protein Powder is made 100% from the sacha inchi seeds. It is shelf stable.
Organic Toasted Sacha Inchi Seeds
These crunchy toasted seeds are perfect as a snack by themselves, or used in cereals, trial mixes or baking. Available also in a lightly salted option, this is a great snack for providing a good source of protein and Omega 3s.
Organic Cold Pressed Inchi Seed Oil
Sacha Inchi is one of a few vegan sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, and thus provides a great source of this essential fatty acid for vegans and vegetarians, and any looking for a plant based source. This oil is light and slightly nutty in flavour. It is perfect for use in salad dressing and baking. It is also gaining popularity in cosmetic applications, particularly for skin care and hair care.
SUPERFOOD INGREDIENTS sacha inchi harvesting and production
Beyond Organic - Permacultivation
Our Sacha Inchi (Plukenetia voubilis, sometimes also called Inca Inchi) is grown with a focus on the positive impact that it has on the communities and on the environment from which it comes. This is about regenerative agriculture, reversing the devastating effects that cattle ranching has had on vast stretches of deforest Amazonian land, that has left the soils severely degraded. The idea is to naturally revive these areas to become productive once more and returned to natural forest systems that are managed as a food forest and habitat for wildlife.
In this project, started in 2009 and now covering an area of 60 ha, much work has been done to replant native species including fruiting trees and medicinal plans that can be used by the locals, along with the sacha inchi used as a commercial crop providing a sustainable means of income for a local co-operative that farm, harvest and process the sacha inchi seeds for export. The hope is to expand this project to regenerate new areas of land into these managed and productive forests using the techniques of permacultivation and polyfarming.
“The principle of permacultivation is to use what we know about plants and the roles that they play naturally in the environment, to regenerate the land without the use of chemicals. The results have been astounding, with the productivity of the land increased effectively and sustainably by letting nature do what it does best.”
Minimal Processing
Pods containing the sacha inchi seeds are harvested throughout the year by a team currently comprising 40 locals. Once harvested, they are sun dried and de-husked to recover the dark brown seeds. These seeds are toasted whole to produce a delicious snack, or cold pressed to collect the omega 3 rich oil and to produce a high protein meal, which is then toasted in a rotary oven (a necessary step as the raw seed is inedible), milled, sieved and packed ready for export around the world, where like the Peruvian communities, many people are enjoying the nutritional benefits and mild nutty flavor of this wonderful Peruvian Superfood.