Chia seeds worth more than grass for 'pets'

Chia seeds worth more than grass for 'pets' After decades adorning everything from a zoo-worthy collection of clay critters to presidential busts, ch-ch-ch-chia seeds finally are ready to ditch the kitsch. "What's becoming known now is the benefits to your diet. Packed with omega-3 fatty acid - more than flax seed - along with fiber, calcium and antioxidants, the native Mexican seed is being touted by runners, yoga moms and all manner of other health conscious eaters. And Georgii says sales today are sometimes even stronger than in the heyday of "Chia Guy" and "Chia Ram. Those seeds aren't grown, packed, stored or quality checked for human consumption. Add them to a drink and the result is similar to Japanese bubble tea - a thick beverage full of floating, jelly-like balls. They are a common addition to kombucha, a popular health drink. Bob's Red Mill, a national grain seller based in Milwaukie, Ore. "It adds a cool texture that's definitely an acquired taste," says Christine Muhlke, executive editor of Bon Appetit magazine, who abandoned flax for chia. "In the last year, they've really jumped in popularity," said Kara Nielsen, trend analyst with California-based product developer CCD Innovation, who first identified chia's trend potential in 2006. "When you start having these different groups, you're talking about a lot of people," Nielsen said. Joseph Enterprises began selling edible seeds in a few hundred CVS and Walgreens drug stores last year, Georgii said, and now sells them in thousands of stores, along with online. It's always been on the fringe, but that's when it came up on the radar for all different kinds of runners. The seeds - which resemble poppy seeds - have become an especially popular addition to drinks. Sales last year saw quadruple growth, said vice president of sales Robert Agnew, and already show signs of continued growth this year. Health food aficionados have likely known about chia since the mid-2000s, when people such as natural health personality Dr. Runners got on board thanks to the 2009 book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall, which credited the seeds as a source of sustenance for Mexico's Tarahumara Indians, who run hundreds of miles. "Dietary chia will outpace the Chia Pet," Georgii said. , which created the Chia Pet in 1981 and recently released an edible seed product. and they think 'green hair on a terra cotta figurine,'" said Peter Georgii, new product manager for San Francisco-based Joseph Enterprises Inc. Oh, and as for the Chia Pets? They haven't gone anywhere. Chia seeds worth more than grass for 'pets' Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 11/04/2012