Between science and tradition: Nutrition epistemologies and extractionist logics in chia seed development and marketing

Abstract

Over the past three decades, chia—the former Aztec staple grain—has been repositioned from a niche plant-based protein source to a celebrated omega-3 essential-fatty-acid-rich superfood. This chapter explores the ways in which extractionist logics and nutritional reductionist paradigms have underpinned both the scientific and popular valorisation of chia seed and the nutrients it contains. Using textual and visual analyses, it examines the nutritional messages prevalent in the marketing of chia seed products in Australia, particularly the ready-to-eat “chia pod” produced by The Chia Co. However, it is not science alone that sells chia seeds; marketing materials emphasise “natural” and “traditional” qualities of chia alongside scientifically substantiated health benefits. Thus, the knowledge framework of functional nutritionism intersects with that of nutritional primitivism, which prioritises naturalness and authenticity as markers of healthfulness. These seemingly competing discourses are shown to be co-constituted, both in terms of informing research agendas and communicating food and health values to consumers. While this melding of epistemologies regarding what constitutes health in relation to food may appear to challenge scientised views of nutrition, extractionist logics applied at each stage of research, development and marketing ensure that nutrition science retains its hegemonic position, as consumers must still extract molecular knowledge to value chia.