The Australian hemp seed industry has welcomed a Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) decision to permit the sale of low-THC hemp seed products as a food.
FSANZ has prepared and assessed a proposal to develop a food regulatory measure to permit the sale of food derived from the seeds of low delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol varieties of Cannabis sativa.
The decision by FSANZ is a key step toward encouraging state ministers to approve of the plant for human consumption, with a decision due to go before the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation on 28 April 2017, when the next Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting is scheduled to take place.
Australia’s largest grower of hemp, Hemp Foods Australia, says the international market for hemp foods is currently estimated at $1 billion annually. The company's founder and CEO, Paul Benhaim, says the demand for Australian hemp foods will quadruple in the next few years.
“This is another positive step in the years long work and investment in achieving legalisation for omega-3 rich hemp as a food in Australia,” Benhaim said.
“It will also contribute significantly toward more sustainable farming in Australia, with the added bonus of creating considerable job opportunities for Australia’s farming industry.”
