Ancient Grains for Modern Times?

Quinoa, millet and spelt are perhaps the best known of the ancient grains, but others still in widespread use in traditional societies and increasingly appearing in Western markets include amaranth, kamut, sorghum, teff and chia.

15/12/08 The Innova Database (www.innovadatabase.com) has recently highlighted growing levels of interest in so-called ‘Ancient Grains’. These grains were once very popular basic food cereals, but faded away and became largely obsolete in many countries with the rise of modern cereal crops, such as wheat and corn. Interest in alternative grain products that are traditional, natural and nutritious has become apparent, particularly with interest from mainstream food and drink companies in the more developed food markets, as exemplified by ConAgra of the US, which introduced its Ancient Grains range of flours at the end of 2007 and continued to actively promote it through 2008.

Quinoa, millet and spelt are perhaps the best known of the ancient grains, but others still in widespread use in traditional societies and increasingly appearing in Western markets include amaranth, kamut, sorghum, teff and chia.  According to Innova, launch numbers for products containing these grains have generally been rising markedly over the past three or four years. Launches of products containing millet and spelt now stand at about 200 a year, while quinoa is not far behind with approaching 130. Amaranth and sorghum also saw over 50 launches each recorded over the 12 months to the end of November 2008, while developments in products featuring chia and teff remained much more limited in more or less single figures.

Quinoa, a small, light-coloured round grain with a distinctive nutty earthy flavour is indigenous to South America, where the Incas regarded it as the ‘mother of all grains’. It is now finding a place in a variety of different grain-based food categories, including breakfast cereals, snack bars and breads, while, again according to Innova Market Insights, launches just over the October-November 2008 period have included biscuits, baby foods, soups and confectionery, while the basic grain has appeared in a growing number of formats, including organic lines and a tricolour blend of white, black and red quinoa.

While the US is focusing heavily on quinoa, the spelt market is being driven particularly by activity in Germany. Spelt is a species of wheat that was important in many parts of Europe from the Bronze Age to mediaeval times. Its use declined when common wheat took over, but it has seen renewed interest, initially in the natural health food trade, with organic products a particular focus. The number of spelt launches has more than doubled in recent years and is likely to exceed 200 in 2008. It is most widely used in traditional grain-based food categories, such as bread, cereals, biscuits and snacks, but there has also been some use in processed foods, such as soups, pizza and desserts, in some European markets, particularly Germany.

Millet is another ancient grain, and is believed to be one of the most important cereal crops of pre-history, possibly even ahead of rice. Modern usage by the food industry has been relatively limited, although like its fellow grain sorghum, it has remained popular as a fodder crop. Launch numbers grew steadily to over 200 in 2007, but interest may now have stabilised, with similar figures likely for 2008.

Amaranth, a grain traditionally cultivated in parts of Latin America and Asia, was, like quinoa, a popular cereal among the Incan and Aztec civilisations. Launches more than doubled between 2005 and 2007, but appear to have fallen back slightly in 2008, despite comes interesting launches in breakfast cereals in Australia and Germany and bakery products in the US.

Ancient grains less frequently featured in product activity to date, but perhaps with potential for the future, include kamut, chia and teff. Teff is an annual grass, native to the Ethiopian Highlands of Africa, which is high in dietary fibre and iron, as well as protein and calcium, while chia is a Latin American annual herb high in protein, dietary fibre and antioxidants, with a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids in its oil.

According to Lu Ann Williams, Innova Market Insight’s Head of Research, “The return of the ancient grains has resulted not only from awareness of their nutritional properties in terms of the protein quality and fibre, vitamin, mineral and phytonutrient content, but also from the unique and individual flavours offered by many of these grains, which means that consumer demand for health and variety can be met, and the opportunities to use these grains in a wide range of food applications are starting to be more extensively exploited.”

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