Qualinoa's story
Quinoa is a plant of Andean origin. It was neglected by the Spanish conquistadors because the grain lacked gluten which, back then, was needed to make bread. It wasn’t until NASA’s work in the ’90s that it was revealed as a superfood.
Exceptional genetic diversity
Didier Bazile, a specialist in agricultural biodiversity, has been researching quinoa since 2004. He moved to the Andes for 4 years (2008-2012) to study its cultivation and characterize the species’ biodiversity, which includes over 6,000 little-known peasant varieties.
Worldwide recognition
Didier was a member of the organizing committee for the International Year of Quinoa in 2013 (UN-FAO), with the goal of the world’s attention towards quinoa’s biodiversity and its high nutritional value. Today, quinoa is grown in over 125 countries on every continent, and Didier runs a network of 300 researchers, spread out over 75 countries, that are all working on quinoa.
Innovating to provide healthy food to all
Leveraging quinoa’s biodiversity helps pave the way towards gluten-free breadmaking, and without the need for additives, which often cause secondary pathologies for celiacs. In 2020, Qualinoa launched a Proof of Concept of an innovative formulation containing over 75% quinoa flour, and won the “Coup de Cœur” prize from the Montpellier Université d’Excellence Innovation Booster. In 2024, Qualinoa launched its first 5 quinoa-based bread mixes on the market.
