Avendano Trading Co

Avendaño Trading is a dynamic, family-owned business dedicated to the production, processing, and marketing of super grains and their derivatives. A key focus of their operation is quinoa, which requires a specific process before it can be consumed due to its natural coating of saponin—a bitter-tasting substance. To make quinoa palatable, the saponin must be removed through a series of precise processing steps.

The saponin removal process begins with a pre-cleaning using a rotary strainer, followed by passage through a grain skin remover. The quinoa is then polished, steam-washed, dried, and cooled to room temperature. However, even after these steps, the quinoa does not yet meet the strict purity standards required by clients and the company’s quality control team.

To reach the desired quality, the quinoa undergoes an additional cleaning, classification, and selection process. It is passed through a strainer, destoner, and color selector, followed by a second strainer, ventilation system, another destoner, gravimetric table, and finally, a metal detector. This process eliminates contaminants like straws, seeds, dust, pebbles, quartz, broken grains, and metal waste—resulting in a uniform and clean product.

Avendaño Trading also offers an independent color selection service, which includes pre-cleaning and destoning. The company has a dedicated packaging and bagging line, enabling it to distribute quinoa in retail sizes from 250 grams to 2.5 kilograms, ready for supermarket shelves.