Following an EU consultation round, Golden Malt & Foodfarm have been granted market authorisation for their food processing line of germinated oilseed hemp. According to the statement, hemp seeds that are germinated by malting are not considered as novel foods. The consultation round was reportedly required to ensure there are no legislative barriers to get the product to the market.
Golden Malt and FoodFarm, partners of joint venture to build what the companies call a superfood processing line, tasked the Finnish authorities with an assignment to begin an official hearing with the EU to verify the novel food status of germinated oilseed hemp. The processing of fractions from oilseed hemp have existed in the markets for many years, the companies say, and novel food authorisation is not required for such products.
The received statement allows utilising oilseed hemp seeds which are germinated by malting. Now, the status has been checked with the Finnish Food Authority and EU member stated, the partners Golden Malt & Foodfarm can continue to schedule the building of the malting and germinating lines. The first hemp batches are aimed to be produced in the autumn of 2021.
The ingredient of oilseed hemp is gluten-free and contains all the essential amino acids making it suitable for germination by malting, which enhances the positive features of the seeds, the companies say. Germination improves the biological activity of the fatty acids and the availability of the minerals. Recent studies have also discovered germinated oilseed hemp to include anti-inflammatory compounds.
The benefits of the drum-malting plant, the companies say, are quality, flexibility and scalability of production, enabling tailored product batches. They aim to produce germinated products for the food industry and local malts for the beverage industry.
