Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
To address that need, the Canadian Hemp
Trade Alliance (CHTA) initiated in 2004 a
comprehensive research programme. The
CHTA represents about 60 members from all
sectors of the North American hemp industry,
including farmers, processors, distributors,
retailers and researchers. The research pro-
gramme includes the following major
elements:
will convene, review the results from the stud-
ies above and other evidence and then discuss
the potential benefits conveyed by the nutrients
present in seeds and oil.
The results from these studies will be published in
scientific journals. Summaries of the results will
also be made available to industry members for
their use in advertising and customer education.
1. Protein characterization. This study evalu-
ates the amino acid composition of hemp seeds
from all relevant hemp varieties grown in
Canada. Subsequently, the digestibility of the
protein in whole seeds, nuts and protein pow-
der is evaluated in rat feeding trials. The find-
ings from this study will allow assessing the
variability of the amino acid composition of
hemp protein as a function of variety and grow-
ing conditions. It will also provide a comparison
of the nutritional value of hemp protein with
that of other animal and plant protein sources.
2. Minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals.
This study will quantify typical levels of key
vitamins, minerals and nutritionally relevant
phytochemicals in hemp seeds, oil, nuts and
protein powder. Again, samples will be col-
lected from all relevant commercial hemp vari-
eties grown in Canada.
3. Assessment of nutritional value of hemp by
expert panel. To date the high cost of control-
led clinical studies has prohibited such studies
of the potential health benefits of hemp seeds.
In order to obtain a credible assessment of the
benefits expected based on the composition of
hemp seeds alone, a panel of recognized
experts on various aspects of nutritional health
16.6 Future Prospects
The limited information we have today on the
composition of hemp seed and its derivatives -
oil, nuts and flour - indicate that they are very
compatible with current trends in nutritional
health. These trends favour foods that are
'nutrient dense' and offer these nutrients in a
balanced form. Of course, as with all foods,
they should also be tasty. Hemp seeds seem to
meet these requirements par excellence.
About the Author
Gero Leson, DEnv, works as environmental
researcher and consultant in Berkeley,
California. He has specialized in the technical
and food uses of agricultural crops, such as
flax, hemp and coconut. Dr Leson initiates
and coordinates research and development
projects with industry groups. He serves as
a scientific advisor to the Canadian Hemp
Trade Alliance (CHTA) and can be reached at
gl@lesonassociates.com.
