Realizing the potential of hemp for product development
Chicago How are you going to use this stuff? Ben Raymond, the director of research and development at Victory Hemp Foods in Carrollton, Kentucky, gets asked this question a lot concerning the hemp components the business sells. He replied, “Almost anything.”
The National Hemp Association’s chair, Geoff Whaling, stated, “History confirms that the world looks to America to lead change, be it industrial, cultural, or environmental.” This is especially true now, as we strive to address the global climate disaster that is threatening humankind. Many of these answers will undoubtedly be driven by American innovation, which can use plant-based technologies. The newest commodity crop in America, hemp, will be at the forefront of this regenerative economic and social change, helping to clean our air and soil, create jobs, andintroduce novel, sustainable items that were previously only imagined.
In contrast to corn and soy, the hemp business is around a century behind in terms of breeding.
“Making sure that farmers can grow our crops on large-scale agriculture plots is really a factor of getting the economics right,” stated Chad Rosen, founder and chief operating officer of Victory Hemp Foods, during the virtually streamed The Future of Food @ SXSW event on March 18–21. “We require easily harvestable genetics that are consistent.”
According to Mr. Rosen, the format of hemp-derived components has been a barrier in formulating till now. He understood that if the components “offer manufacturers compelling taste and performance advantages” in the plant-based space, then this new, sustainable commodity crop would grow to a large scale.
Mr. Rosen stated, “We view it as an oil seed.” “We fractionate them without using any hazardous chemicals, separating them into oil and protein. We enhance the protein’s functioning to enable it to be included in a wider range of food and beverage categories.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which are substances present in other parts of the cannabis plant, are not normally present in hemp seeds. Like soy and animal protein, the seeds are around one-third protein and contain all nine essential amino acids, making them a complete protein. Additionally high in heart-healthy fatty acids are hemp seeds. Numerous hemp grain products are free from the need for food additive tolerance since they are “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS).
“We assist formulators in developing applications,” stated Mr. Rosen. However, we devote the majority of our efforts to creating procedures that allow us to maximize value and optimize ingredient functionality for those formulators.
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The hemp seed’s outer shell is a component of traditional hemp protein; it contains chlorophyll and tannins that give the protein its green hue and bitter undertones. Protein from the seed’s heart is obtained through (our) processing, giving us a powdered ingredient that is over 70% protein, nearly white in color, and has a very mild flavor profile. We are producing soluble and texturized proteins in addition to offering concentrated protein forms.
Additionally, the company intends to separate the oil’s omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This will increase the oil’s shelf life, making it more suitable for use in spreads and applications of vegetable margarine.
“Hemp seed oil works great anywhere you use extra-virgin olive oil,” Mr. Raymond stated. The true game-changer, in my opinion, is the protein. Another plant-based alternative for meat substitutes, drink mixes, and protein bars. Edestin and albumin, the two main proteins found in hemp hearts, are readily digested and have a variety of interesting functional properties, such as the ability to store water and oil.
Formulators that are interested in working with the ingredients now have more opportunities because of the GRAS designation.
According to Mr. Rosen, “a lot of manufacturers are marketing from their nutrition labels.” “They want to include hemp in the nutrition label on the back and on the front of the package.”