Bulk Black Chia Seed
Source86’s Bulk Black Chia Seeds are a food-grade seed derived from Salvia hispanica, supplied for wholesale and industrial use from leading producing regions including Paraguay, Mexico, Bolivia, and Argentina. They deliver a high omega-3 (ALA) and dietary-fiber profile, strong gel-forming binding through their natural soluble-fiber mucilage, and a mild, neutral flavor that integrates without altering finished-product taste.
Black chia is one of the most versatile seed ingredients in commercial food manufacturing, valued for natural binding and thickening, moisture retention, egg replacement, and clean-label nutritional fortification. It performs consistently across bakery and gluten-free products, nutrition bars and snacks, beverages and functional drinks, dairy-alternative and plant-based systems, and breakfast products.
Source86 supplies black chia in whole, ground, and pasteurized forms, in both organic and conventional grades, to match a range of formulation and food-safety requirements. Available in bulk with flexible packaging options, Source86 supplies black chia to procurement teams, R&D departments, and food manufacturers at scale. Certifications, including Organic, Non-GMO, Kosher, and Halal, are available upon request.
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Product Data
| Botanical Name | Salvia hispanica |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Black Chia Seeds |
| Plant Part Used | Seed |
| Available Forms | Whole · Ground · Pasteurized (whole or ground) |
| Physical Form | Whole seed; fine dark powder (ground form) |
| Grades | Organic · Conventional |
| Appearance | Small oval seeds, deep brown to black; ground form is a fine dark powder |
| Odor | Virtually odorless |
| Flavor | Mild, neutral, faintly nutty |
| Origin Countries | Paraguay, Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina |
| Packaging Formats | 25 kg polypropylene bag · 25 kg kraft paper bag · 1000 kg super sacks |
| Storage Conditions | Dry / ambient; store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and moisture |
Certifications & Compliance
Source86 supplies bulk black chia seeds with documentation commonly required for commercial ingredient sourcing and supplier qualification.
Documentation available upon request may include: Certificates of Analysis (COAs); ingredient specifications / technical data sheets; allergen statements; country-of-origin documentation; Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
Certifications (availability may vary by form, grade, origin, and production lot): Organic (organic grades) · Non-GMO · Kosher · Halal · Vegan. Black chia is naturally gluten-free and free from major allergens such as nuts and soy. Source86’s supply chain is supported by BRCGS AA certification, with GMP, HACCP, GFSI, and FDA-registered facility standards.
For quality-assurance teams requiring additional documentation, including heavy metals testing, microbiological reports, or pesticide residue analysis, requests can be accommodated on a per-order basis. Contact our team to confirm documentation availability for your specific compliance requirements.
Forms & Processing
Black chia is supplied in three forms, selected by how the seed functions in a formulation and by food-safety requirements. Organic and conventional grades are available across each.
- Whole seed: Intact seeds for visible inclusions, toppings, and gel-forming applications where the seed hydrates in the finished product. Provides crunch dry and a gel coating when hydrated.
- Ground: Finely milled to a powder that disperses readily, releasing its binding and nutritional fractions. Ground material shows stronger moisture absorption and is used for fortification, gluten-free flour blending, and coatings where seed visibility is not wanted.
- Pasteurized: Heat-treated to reduce microbial load while preserving nutritional integrity, supporting ready-to-eat, raw, and minimally cooked applications with stricter food-safety requirements. Available in whole and ground formats.
Finer parameters, omega-3 and fiber fractions, particle size for ground material, and microbiological controls for pasteurized material, are defined in spec sheets and Certificates of Analysis and can be provided as documentation becomes available.
Production & Sourcing
Source86 sources black chia from established Salvia hispanica–growing regions across Paraguay, Mexico, Bolivia, and Argentina. These origins are selected for their agricultural infrastructure, processing capability, and ability to support consistent, large-scale production. This multi-origin sourcing model helps stabilize supply availability and reduce exposure to seasonal disruption in any single region.
How It’s Produced
- Harvesting: Black chia is harvested from Salvia hispanica once the plant’s flowers have dried and dropped their petals.
- Threshing & Cleaning: Seed heads are collected and threshed to separate the seeds, which are then cleaned to remove dust, debris, and foreign matter. Organic grades are grown under certified organic farming protocols and sorted by size and weight.
- Grinding (ground form): Cleaned seed is finely milled with specialized equipment into a fine powder while preserving its fiber, omega-3, and nutrient content.
- Pasteurization (pasteurized form): Whole or ground seed is heat-treated to reduce microbial load while preserving nutritional integrity, supporting applications with stricter food-safety requirements.
- Packaging: Finished seed is checked against specifications and packed into bulk food-grade formats.
Harvest & Supply Availability
Chia is grown across both hemispheres, which staggers harvest windows and supports year-round availability. In the Northern Hemisphere, harvest typically falls between August and October; in the Southern Hemisphere, between February and April. Sourcing across Paraguay, Mexico, Bolivia, and Argentina lets Source86 maintain consistent inventory and lead times regardless of seasonal fluctuation in any single origin.
Applications
- Bakery and Gluten-Free Products: Adds binding, moisture retention, and structure in breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, pancakes, and crackers; ground chia functions as a gluten-free flour component and egg/gum reducer.
- Nutrition Bars, Energy Bites, and Cereals: Provides cohesion and a recognizable nutritional inclusion in snack bars, granola bars, energy bites, clusters, muesli, and cereals.
- Beverages and Functional Drinks: Whole seeds hydrate into a gel for texture in chia drinks and functional beverages; ground chia supports fiber and omega-3 fortification of smoothies and juices.
- Dairy and Plant-Based Alternatives: Used to build chia milk, chia yogurt, dairy-free puddings, and creamers, and to thicken spoonable plant-based formats.
- Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: Acts as a binder and texturizer in veggie burgers, meatless meatballs, and similar formats.
- Breakfast Products: Whole or ground inclusion in oatmeal, overnight oats, and breakfast blends.
- Dressings, Sauces, and Coatings: Ground chia contributes water- and oil-binding and viscosity in dressings, sauces, and nutrient-dense coatings for meat and vegetables.
- Confectionery and Desserts: Texture and nutritional inclusion in puddings, fillings, and dessert formats.
- Cosmetics and Personal Care: Used where a chia-derived seed input supports formulation in personal care lines.
- Private Label and Contract Manufacturing: Supplied for co-packers and private-label manufacturers across the above categories.
Physical & Functional Characteristics
Small oval seeds, deep brown to black; ground form is a uniform fine dark powder.
Deep brown to black; provides visual contrast in light-colored finished products.
Mild, nutty, with a subtle earthy note; neutral enough to blend into both sweet and savory systems.
Virtually none; readily absorbs the flavors of paired ingredients.
Crunchy when dry; forms a gel-like coating when hydrated; ground form is fine and powdery.
High soluble-fiber content forms a mucilaginous gel on contact with liquid.
Source of dietary fiber, plant protein, and omega-3 fatty acids (ALA), with naturally occurring minerals including calcium, iron, and magnesium, plus antioxidants.
Naturally gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian; free from major allergens such as nuts and soy; suitable for grain-free formulations.
Functionality
- Provides natural binding through gel-forming mucilage when hydrated, supporting cohesion in doughs, batters, and bars; binding strength increases in ground and hydrated forms.
- Functions as a vegan egg and dairy replacement in baked goods and plant-based systems.
- Contributes water- and oil-holding capacity, supporting moisture retention and structure (notably stronger in the ground form).
- Supports thickening in puddings, sauces, dressings, fillings, and beverages through gel formation.
- Enables omega-3 (ALA), dietary-fiber, plant-protein, and essential-mineral fortification without altering finished-product flavor.
- Maintains structural inclusion and visual identity in bakery, bar, and breakfast systems (whole form).
- Integrates into dry blends and wet systems with predictable hydration behavior.
Benefits for Commercial Manufacturing
- Batch Consistency: Standardized sourcing and a multi-supplier network support reliable seed quality and performance across production runs.
- Form Flexibility: Whole, ground, and pasteurized forms (organic and conventional) let manufacturers match the ingredient to the application and food-safety requirement without changing suppliers.
- Pasteurized Option for RTE Lines: Heat-treated material supports ready-to-eat and minimally cooked applications with stricter microbial requirements.
- Egg and Dairy Replacement: Enables vegan and allergen-free reformulation, widening consumer reach.
- Clean-Label Fit: Single-ingredient, naturally gluten-free, non-GMO seed supports clean-label, plant-based, and free-from development.
- Supply Continuity: Multi-origin sourcing across both hemispheres and staggered harvest cycles support year-round availability and reduce single-region dependency.
- Bulk & Packaging Flexibility: Supplied in 25 kg bags and 1000 kg super sacks to support different production volumes and procurement needs.
- Shelf-Stable Supply: Dry/ambient storage and an extended shelf life support inventory planning and large-scale operations.
- Documentation Readiness: COAs, specifications, allergen statements, and BRCGS AA / audit documentation available on request to support supplier onboarding.
