AAFC: Quinoa And Amaranth - A New Place To Grow These Crops?

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists in Guelph, Ontario are studying the nutritional benefits of Ontario-grown quinoa and amaranth as part of a project to determine the potential for introducing these South American grains to Ontario.

This year has been declared “The International Year of the Quinoa” by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Dr. Rong Cao, a scientist at AAFC’s Guelph Food Research Centre is examining the antioxidant values of both quinoa and amaranth. In recent years, these native South American foods have become popular in North America for their gluten-free and nutritional benefits. Quinoa is one of a few grains with a complete essential amino acid profile (amino acids are the building blocks of protein) and has many nutritional benefits.

“If we can produce quinoa and amaranth in Ontario, it can give local farmers lucrative new crops to grow and give consumers a healthy local product to buy,” Dr. Cao said.

His research is part of a project being led by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association to determine how different varieties of quinoa and amaranth can be adapted to Ontario climate, soils, and environment.

“My role was to assess the effect of the environment and genetics on the nutritional value,” notes Dr. Cao.

His initial studies on amaranth focussed on the nutritional values of the leaves, which are used as a vegetable in many cultures. After assessing both green and purple-coloured leaves he found the highly pigmented amaranth leaves had higher levels of antioxidants than the green ones. Similar results have been found with quinoa leaves.

Dr. Cao and a graduate student will continue their research on these two foods over the next two years. He wants to have a better understanding of the phytochemicals involved in these products and will be looking at the biomarkers for anti-inflammatory aspects of various foods.

The Guelph Food Research Centre is one of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's network of 18 research centers. Located in Guelph, Ontario, the Centre specializes in food safety, quality and nutrition, and is committed to ensuring that food produced in Canada continues to be among the safest and of the highest quality in the world.

From AAFC News Release.

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

KAP Celebrates 42nd Annual General Meeting and Sets Strong Policy Direction

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) held its 42nd annual meeting on February 3, 2026, at the Delta Hotels Winnipeg bringing together farmers, industry partners, stakeholders, elected officials, and government representatives to review a year of significant advocacy achievements and to set priorities for the year ahead. “Our AGM provides an opportunity each year to gather members from across the province, and I want to thank them for attending the 2026 AGM this week to connect with each other, engage on critical issues facing for our sector, and set priorities for our ongoing work and future direction,” said Jill Verwey, KAP President. Panels and policy workshops during the AGM focused on Manitoba’s drainage network, right to repair, interoperability and digital agriculture led by Tyler McCann, Managing Director of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. “KAP’s work is driven by the priorities and perspectives of Manitoba farmers, said Colin Hornby, KAP General Manager. “This pa

Horticulture School

The Horticulture School is presented by Manitoba Agriculture, Agriculture Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) - Portage and Assiniboine College - Brandon. The school provides horticulture producers with learning opportunities to improve yield and quality of their crops. If you are a market gardener, vegetable &/or fruit producer, or have an interest in horticulture production please join us at the school. The following are the focus areas of the school: Pathology - Conventional and non-conventional disease management. Fruit - Production information and updates Vegetable - Production information and updates, sweet potato production, storage issues Entomology - Early season pests - cutworms, flea beetles, diamondback moth, grasshoppers Soils - Soil fertility planning Weeds - Recognizing drift, systemic vs contact herbicides, post harvest weed control Certified Crop Advisor credits are available for participants. Upcoming Horticulture Webinar Series: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. Dr. Vi

Portage la Prairie research farm to close following AAFC cuts

An Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research farm in Portage la Prairie will be closing as part of federal government funding cuts. Earlier this month, the department announced that seven research facilities across multiple provinces will be closing as the federal government moves to reduce the size of the public service. “We knew that the government was going to be making reductions, it was just a question of where,” said Colin Hornby, general manager of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), which represents thousands of farmers in the province. “Firstly, the details are not all clear yet, we’re still figuring out how these things are going to happen… but more generally speaking, a reduction in research capacity is always something that concerns us,” he said. Hornby said the federal facility was also used by universities and other researchers to conduct a range of studies, including work on horticulture, grain, oil and other conventional crops. “Research is the foundation

Seeking Asian market development, growth

On Alfonz Koncan’s agenda: get more Manitoba businesses into Hong Kong. Koncan is Winnipeg chapter co-president of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association. The group recently signed a letter of co-operation with the Manitoba government. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, a statutory body, also signed a co-operation letter with the province. “We’re not focused hard enough,” Koncan said of local trade with Hong Kong (a special administrative region of China) and Southeast Asia. “We have too much of our trade going south (to the U.S.) and it’s vulnerable.” He called Hong Kong a “pivot point” — a financial hub where players from nearby countries find trading partners. Manitoba ships commodities such as barley, canola and wheat to Southeast Asia. There’s room for growth, especially as areas become wealthier and more populous, Koncan said. He and colleagues aim to connect Manitoba firms with Hong Kong trade shows. The association has been doing so for several decades; it’s crea

Supreme Egg Products Helps Ontario Processors Secure Reliable Liquid Egg Supply with 99% Fill Rate.

Supreme Egg Products, a specialist in egg processing, empowers Ontario's industrial processors and HRI operations with dependable liquid eggs and hard-boiled eggs, backed by a 99% fill rate that ensures production continuity.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service