Benexia harnesses the power of chia for enviable Keto-friendly bakes

30-Apr-2021 - Last updated on 24-Apr-2021 at 13:44 GMT

Benexia is closing the global population's significant fibre gap with a specialised flour made from chia seeds. Pic: GettyImages/Trexdigital

Chia seed ingredients specialist Benexia has developed a Keto Chia Cake & Muffin Baking Mix that overcomes the dry texture, short shelf life and nutritional deficits typically associated with low-carb baking flours.

Benexia’s baking premix contains Xia Powder 435 W LM, a multifunctional 100% natural fibre concentrate extracted from chia seeds.

Xia Powder 435 W LM is an excellent source of fibre – both soluble and insoluble – which promotes gut health and immune support, along with high quality plant-based protein and heart-healthy omega-3 ALA fats. It is also rich in potassium, phosphorus and calcium naturally found in chia seeds.

The gluten-free mix also contains a handful of easily recognisable ingredients, including allulose, whole almond flour, coconut flour, egg albumin, natural vinegar powder, soy lecithin, baking soda, vanilla flavour, tara gum and salt.

Benexia’s low-temperature micro-milling system process standardises the ingredients in the premix without the need for additives, processing aid ingredients, solvents or enzymes. And as Xia Powder 435 W LM is not hydrolysed, its viscosity reduces the need for emulsifiers and stabilisers. This results in clean label bakes that are shelf stable and moist, with an ‘enviable nutritional profile and a crave-worthy taste and texture’.

Recognised by the FDA as a dietary fibre, Xia Powder-435 LM can be simply labelled as chia flour, chia fibre or defatted milled chia.

“Bakers can pass this food transparency along to the consumer,” said Sandra Gillot, CEO of Benexia.

Bringing healthy to the keto market

“Chia’s natural composition is ideal for this application. This isn’t a taste or texture consumers will have to get used to. You no longer need highly processed white flour to produce better-for-you baked goods that taste like your mom and grandmother used to make.

She added, “We are bringing healthy to the keto market. Benexia’s Keto Chia Cake & Muffin Baking Mix is higher in nutritional content, including protein, fibre, antioxidants and better-for-you fats when compared with other keto flours on the market.”

The Keto Chia Cake & Muffin Baking Mix contains no added sugar, and is low in sodium, saturated fat and TFA. It also contains only 2g net carbs per serving and helps to reduce the GI value in finished products.

Gillot noted Benexia’s chia ingredients are also good for the environment.

“[Chia] has a low carbon footprint. It requires so little water that we don’t even use an irrigation system for our crops.

“Benexia has been a worldwide leader in chia production since 2000. Our fully integrated company adheres to responsible agricultural practices, and natural chemical-free processing with guaranteed zero waste.”

Benexia’s Keto Chia Cake and Muffin Mix with Xia Powder 435 W LM is suitable for bakeries producing finished products for end-consumers and well as manufacturers producing private label baked goods for supermarkets.

The company also produces a Keto (Low Carb) Chia Bread Baking Mix.