HISTORY

Oilseeds are harvested from annual herbaceous plants belonging to different families and have in common the strong presence of fats inside the seeds that make them especially suitable to the extraction of food oils.

The oilseeds are widespread throughout the world, and the origins of those cultivated by man come from different regions of the planet. Flax has been domesticated in the Mediterranean areas, pumpkin, sunflower and chia seeds come from Central America, while hemp and poppy born spontaneously in the regions between the fertile crescent and the Indian sub-continent. Finally, the origins of the sesame are uncertain, as it has been widespread for millennia in all areas of the temperate zone.

In Italy, the only species cultivated on a large scale is oil sunflower and, although flax and hemp are regaining interest among organic farms due to their rusticity, the other oilseeds do not represent economically important enough crops and remain limited to minimal local productions.

OUR SEEDS

Our seeds come exclusively from controlled supply chains: in addition to maintaining direct relations with farmers, we collaborate with companies specialised in the processing of different products and import directly from third countries what not grown in Italy.

Our main supply chain project in the field of oilseeds concerns flax, which is grown exclusively from farms in central and southern Italy with whom we maintain a direct collaboration relationship. The processes of transformation of flax seeds take place entirely in our factory in Spoleto, where only gluten-free products are sorted, hulled and milled. Furthermore, we are launching new agricultural projects aimed at recovering the cultivation of some seeds that in the past have represented a resource in various Italian territories: hemp in the Apennine regions of central Italy and sesame in Sicily. The other seeds come from the countries of origin or from those that have specialised in their cultivation: also, in this case, we make sure that the supply chains of these seeds are guaranteed gluten-free.

In addition to the range of natural seeds, we can offer the toasted version of sunflower, pumpkin, flax and sesame: we roasted the seeds in our factory in Spoleto, where we process gluten-free products only.

NUTRITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Characterised by a high content of lipids and a good content of carbohydrates and proteins of high biological value, oilseeds represent a super interesting kind of food from the nutritional point of view as they are energetic and complete.

However, what has made oilseeds very popular among wellness lovers is their incredible antioxidant power: these seeds contain vitamin E, minerals such as selenium and omega-3 unsaturated fats, 6 and 9, which perform very beneficial actions for our body.

Vitamin E and selenium protect the body from ageing by counteracting the oxidative action of the radicals towards the cell membranes. Unsaturated fatty acids omega-3, 6 and 9 are called “essential” because they are not synthesizable in the body, and as such they must be introduced through feeding: in addition to preventing the accumulation of triglycerides in the blood thus protecting the cardiovascular system, they defend intestinal mucous membranes, play an anti-inflammatory action and increase the body’s immune response.

In addition to the above microelements, oil seeds contain B vitamins and good levels of minerals such as iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium.

The oilseeds are also rich in complex carbohydrates, which contribute to the control of cholesterol and glucose levels in the blood, as well as being essential in the regulation of digestive functions. Finally, oilseeds are naturally gluten-free, which is why are widely used in gluten-free diets.