Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 16.1.
Hemp food raw materials and
products.
that demand continues to expand by educating
customers about the culinary and potential
health benefits of hemp foods.
Raw materials
:
Whole seeds (raw, toasted)
Cold-pressed hemp oil
Hulled seeds (nuts)
Defatted seedcake - protein flour
Food products
:
Cereals (muesli)
Snack/nutrition bars
Bread, cookies, pretzels, chips
Nut butter, pasta
Salad dressings
Ice cream
Body care products
:
Soap, cream, lip balm, shampoo
16.2.2 EU
In the EU, the demand for hemp foods has
grown much more slowly than in North
America. This is despite the fact that whole
seeds and oil have been available to consum-
ers, particularly in Germany, since 1995 and
that hemp has been legal to grow in most
member countries since 1997. As in North
America, the inconsistent and often poor qual-
ity of early hemp products, combined with the
hype in the 1990s, likely made many consum-
ers sceptical. Furthermore, many of the
national European food markets are more tra-
ditional and thus slower to respond to novelty.
Unlike in the USA and Canada, distribution to
supermarket customers has started only
recently in the UK. In addition, while European
governments have generally been reasonable
about regulating THC levels in hemp foods,
the lack of a high-profile court battle, as in the
USA, has, ironically, also created less visibility
for hemp foods.
However, since 2003, hemp food compa-
nies in Germany and the UK have experienced
growing demand for hemp seed oil and snacks
containing hemp seeds or nuts. Moreover, as
in North America, the drivers increasingly are
the proclaimed health benefits and taste of
hemp foods.
federal Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) passed a rule in 2001 which would have
banned the sale of all food items containing
'any amount of THC'. Because all hemp seeds
contain measurable trace amounts of THC,
this would have outlawed all hemp foods and
destroyed the fledgling North American hemp
industry. However, the industry successfully
challenged the DEA in federal court and, based
on legal and technical grounds, ultimately won
in 2004. This court battle generated much
media attention and awareness of hemp foods
by US consumers.
Health attributes
This publicity also drew attention to the nutri-
tional composition of hemp seeds and oil, which
appears to offer potential health benefits and is
in line with several emerging trends in nutri-
tional science. The strong US retail network for
'natural' foods, including several chains of
supermarkets, has been a natural ally in bring-
ing hemp foods to retail customers.
By developing the domestic food market,
the North American hemp industry followed a
uniquely different route, from which Europeans
may benefit. Conversely, there are signs that
the hemp fibre grown in the Canadian Prairies,
and which is now either ploughed under or
burned, will increasingly find technical uses. In
its growth, the North American hemp foods
industry now faces two main challenges:
(i) supplying the fast-growing demand for seeds
while maintaining quality; and (ii) making sure
16.3 Culinary Uses of
Hemp Seeds and Oil
Even in North America, hemp foods are still in
their infancy and the range of culinary uses has
not been fully exploited. The basic raw material
is, of course,
whole hemp seed
. Because of
their crunchy shell, seeds have never become
very popular with food manufacturers and con-
sumers. Some roasted whole hemp seeds are
used as snacks, salted, with a caramel coat, or
as a minor ingredient in energy bars. Several
US firms also sell coffee blends containing a
portion of roasted seeds. The main use of whole
