Quinoa grains processing: Effects on its physicochemical properties

Recently there is an interest in the production of foods with high nutritional quality because there is a global requirement for more efficient foods that help to decrease malnutrition and nutrient problems in general. Quinoa is a pseudocereal that possesses excellent nutritional characteristics. This grain contains a high percentage of protein, and the main protein fractions are albumin and globulins. Besides, it has a unique amino acid content that balances essential amino acids. Quinoa is an excellent source of dietary fiber; it contains almost 10-16%. Additionally, quinoa contains a high concentration of minerals and vitamins. However, quinoa contains some anti-nutritional compounds such as saponins removed by washing, soaking, and boiling. Quinoa is usually submitted to different processes, mainly to increase palatability and sensory acceptance of quinoa. Methods applied for quinoa are milling, cooking, extrusion, roasted, microwave heating. Those processes usually change nutritional and physical quinoa characteristics. The purpose of this chapter is to describe quinoa characteristics and explain how different methods affect nutritional quinoa properties.