India Takes First Steps to Open Market for Hemp Seed-Based Foods

Curated, translated, and edited by Sechat, with information from Hemp Today

Food safety authorities in India have approved hemp seeds, hemp seed oil, and seed-based flour as food and food ingredients, signaling a first crack in opening up a vast market of 1.4 billion consumers.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) signed regulations last week that stakeholders say could help unlock the potential of hemp grain in the food and beverage sectors.

While the change partially addresses the lack of regulations that have hindered India’s hemp industry, it is too early to say how quickly the hemp seed market can develop, said Nivedita Bansal Shah, co-founder and consultant for India and Nepal at Shah Hemp Inno-Ventures, Janakpur.

>>> Join the Sechat group on WHATSAPP and get the news first

'Significant Milestone'

“It’s a significant milestone for the hemp industry in India. It’s a first victory at the national level and will pave the way for future development,” Shah said. “But there are a number of questions that still need to be answered before we see hemp seeds readily being sold in the Indian market.”

First, Shah said quality planting seeds are in short supply. “The availability of seeds for planting and the genetics for planting seeds for grain production (hemp seeds for food) still need to be developed,” she said.

The Indian subcontinent is home to many indigenous varieties of cannabis. As the market gradually opens, there will be a significant demand for these varieties. But cultivation seeds that can perform consistently still need to be developed from local hemp varieties.

>>> Join the Sechat group on TELEGRAM and get the news first

Only Hulled Seeds?

Additionally, the language of the regulations refers exclusively to “hulled seeds.” This seems to exclude hulled or “nut” hemp seeds, which are very popular in markets where hemp seed-based foods are more common.

More generally, India faces the challenge of a weak ecosystem for the development of hemp food products, exacerbated by a gap in knowledge and understanding of the processes involved in launching products to market. Stakeholders say consumers still need to be informed and educated about hemp, and research and development are needed to standardize the industry.

Among the key details in the recently adopted regulations:

• Only hemp seeds from plants with less than 0.3% THC can be incorporated into food products.

• The THC content in food seeds cannot exceed 5mg/kg, and the THC content in oil extracted from such seeds is limited to 10mg/kg.

• Beverages made with hemp seeds must not contain more than 0.2mg/kg of THC.

• Hemp seed flour is defined as “solid product after the seeds are ground into powder with or without oil extraction.” These products cannot have more than 5mg/kg of THC.

• CBD levels in hemp seeds or hemp seed-based food products cannot exceed 75mg/kg.

• Product labels cannot imply any psychoactive effects, nor include any nutritional or health claims about CBD, “any image/representation of the cannabis plant (including the leaf) other than the seeds, nor the words 'cannabis', 'marijuana' or words of similar meaning.”

SEE ALSO: