Original Chia's Story

The company Original Chia was founded in 2009 due to a series of fortunate events.

Martin Toft, the founder of the company, had watched to independent TV-shows where Chiaseeds had been mentioned. At first he did not want to believe what he saw and heard. The qualities told about Chia felt unlikely and superficial. In the second TV-show a very (In Denmark) known nutrionist talked about the amazing positive properties of Chiaseeds, that the first tv-show had shown.

This was reason enough for Martin Toft to do extensive research about Chiaseeds on the internet. 2 hours later Martin Toft was convinced that he had encountered a particularly valuable food, that he wanted to dedicate his future to. Together with 2 friends he founded the company Original Chia, that achieved that very first import-license for Chiaseeds given in the EU.

It was very difficult at first. In South America Chiaseeds werent commonly known more than in Denmark, which was around non-existant. To find a reliable suppllier in this situation was also not easy, let alone the first shipping containers being sent to Denmark and Europe.

In 2009, Chia was approved in bread

In 2009 was approved up till 5% in bread. We talked primarily with bakeries, but they seemed reluctant to try something new, even tho they had all the advantages about this new and unknown seed listed. Why try something so unknown , that nobody could ask difference in price between chia, sesame and sunflowerseeds.

Untill an expanded use-license for chia seeds found its place in January 2013, Original Chia did a lot of research. Since the end of January 2013, Chiaseeds could be used in up to 10% of bread, instead of the original 5%. And that was true for all baked goods, but also for mixed products like fruit-, seed and nutmixes, including breakfast-products. Now chiaseeds were also sold as a single-product with indications on the packet, that the daily intake of Chia should not be above 15g (EFSA).

This approval sparked serious interestin chia seeds. Chiaseeds were no longer for health professionals and extreme athletes. The demand had multiplied and we grew with that demand.

Not only athletes felt the effects of chiaseeds, but everyone did. Many came to us with comments about how they felt better and more vital with the consumption of chiaseeds.

The great wave of chia seeds hits us

The great wave of demand for chia also hit on the doors of bakeries, and the first ones started producing chia bread and buns. In 2012 at IBA Munich we saw a very low interest for chiaseeds, that changed alot at IBA in 2015, where chiaseeds could be found everywhere and sold like hot cakes.

In 2014 Original Chia Germany was founded to serve the growing interest for chia and to be able to adress the german market more directly.

In the meantime chia has become indispensable for a lot of people, and Original Chia has established itself as a qualityminded and reliable supplier on the international market.

Through the years we have become one of the largest suppliers and traders of Chiaseeds in the EU.

We are still excited to expand and use the knowledge of Chia and its properties, so that as many people as possible can make their own experiences with this particularly valuable, complete food.

Watch a clip from Go’Morgen Danmark with Christian Bitz, that mentions Chia as 1 of 5 of the healthiest foods, click here