Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has gained prominence worldwide over recent years and suddenly Peru has emerged as a major player in the global quinoa market. This study aims to analyze the expansion of quinoa farming in Peru in the period 1995-2014 and to discuss the changes in land-use the country has experienced as a result of the boom in the global demand for quinoa. Two statistical approaches, principal component analysis (PCA) and exponential smoothing, were applied in the data analysis to explore the evolution of the quinoa boom in Peru by periods and to forecast what the acreage expansion rate would have been if the boom had not occurred. The results show that the quinoa boom was responsible for an increase of 43% in the number of hectares planted with quinoa in 2014, in relation to the number predicted if there had been no boom. This provoked an acceleration of production in traditional quinoa farming areas and the extension of this activity to new regions. The consequences are already apparent in the land-use changes seen in Peru, namely the: (i) displacement; (ii) rebound; and (iii) cascade effects.

The characteristics that define cake quality can be improved by the use of adequate ingredients and a correct balance of the formulation. Fat is used for its effect on softness and because it imparts flavor and calories. Enzymes such as maltogenic α-amylase can also have a positive effect on cake texture during storage by decreasing amylopectin re-crystallization and thus delaying starch retrogradation providing longer-lasting crumb softness. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different concentrations of maltogenic α-amylase and fat on the technological and sensory characteristics of cakes. Therefore, balanced formulations with three different fat concentrations (20, 40, and 60 g/100 g, based on the flour content) were used to evaluate the addition of maltogenic α-amylase (0, 500, and 1000 mg/kg). Technological quality determinations were carried out on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 of storage. The best results in terms of cake quality (greater specific volume, higher crumb moisture content, lower crumb firmness, and greater sensory acceptance) were obtained with the combination of 20 g/100 g fat and 1000 mg/kg maltogenic α-amylase (based on the flour content), which proved to be an alternative to reduce the fat levels in the elaboration of this type of product.

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The quantification of food losses and waste (FLW) has become a research hotspot in the last decade, but little work has been done to have food waste data in Latin American countries. This paper contributes to addressing this knowledge gap by examining the magnitude of FLW along the whole food supply chain (FSC) in Peru. The methodological approach was based on the top-down mass flow analysis at all steps of the FSC for the 2007–2017 period (most recently available data), including different food commodity groups (CGs), such as cereals, roots and tubers, oil seeds and pulses, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and seafood, and milk. Results show an annual average of FLW of 12.8 million tonnes, which represents 47.76% of the national food supply. Regarding per capita quantities, the average amount of FLW was 426.56 kg per year when considering the entire FSC, and 67.34 kg per year when considering only the consumption step. This study suggests which steps of the FSC and CGs are the most promising targets for FLW reduction strategies in Peru.