According to the hemp industry, New Zealand and Australia are missing out on Hemp Nutrition and have some catching up to do. While many countries across the globe are cashing in on the sale of hemp seed food products, the governments of New Zealand and Australia still deem them illegal. However, this could soon change.
A proposal to allow the sale of hemp-based foods will be discussed by the ministers of New Zealand and Australia next month.
One example of a hemp-based food product is hemp milk, produced by crushing hemp seeds and blending them with water. When talking about this product, Hemp Farm CEO Dave Jordan says it can used for all the same uses as ordinary milk, whether it’s your breakfast cereal or morning coffee. Hemp milk is offered either plain or blended with flavours like almond or vanilla, to make it more flavourful.
Jordan talks about the nutritional benefits of hemp seeds, their high quantities of Omega 3 and the fact that there are no trans fats and no cholesterol. There are many other hemp-based food products besides milk, he says, and claims they can make hemp cheese, butter, beer and wine.
The Australia and New Zealand Food Standards have proposed changing the laws to allow the sale of hemp food products, but they have been rejected by past proposals before the Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation.
Hemp may well be a species of cannabis like marijuana, but it doesn’t contain the same levels of THC, the psychoactive component. The levels of THC in hemp are extremely low, less than 0.3%.
Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew has stated that hemp seed has been scientifically proven to be safe to eat.
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