New research suggests that hemp seeds and hemp oils can be combined to create a gluten-free mix with a “optimal baking texture”, as well as delivering “significant nutrition impact”.
A six-person research team from the University of Calabria in Italy used hemp oil and flour to create gluten-free muffins. They tested various parameters, to determine the feasibility of using hemp flour as an alternative.
Initially, authors found that replacing butter with hemp oil in a traditional recipe—made with 00 wheat flour—reduced the consistency of the cupcake batter. The consistency of the cupcake batter was restored when all the wheat flour had been replaced with hemp.
Replace butter with CBD oil to reduce batter consistency. “The subsequent gradual inclusion of hemp flour resulted in a further reduction,” says the article, which was published in Molecules. The consistency of the mixture was not improved by mixing hemp flour with maize (corn).
The study states that “when hemp flour is used exclusively the consistency of batter can be restored to levels comparable with the traditional formulation”, resulting in a baked texture which is optimal.
In addition to detailing a process authors described as “an efficient method for extracting CBD-rich oil”—which involves maceration along with the use of microwaves—they found that hemp oil “presents a viable alternative to traditional oils and fats for creating functional foods.”
Evaluating various physical properties of the resulting hemp flour–oil mix, researchers concluded that “hemp oil and hemp flour are viable ingredients for traditional cakes and desserts, notably contributing increased nutritional value through the CBD-enriched hemp oil and the beneficial profile of hemp flour.”
As more studies are being conducted to determine the nutritional value hemp, both for animals and humans, this study has been released.
Scientists at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, who worked on the project, said that they wanted to unlock the plant’s incredible nutritional benefits and economic benefits.
USDA’s video emphasized the wide variety of uses for hemp including fabric, paper construction material and nutritional products. The USDA predicted that new ways of processing hemp could be used to incorporate its nutrients into everyday food.
The USDA video stated that the hemp plant was a robust plant. He added that hemp can grow in different environments, require comparatively little agricultural inputs, and be turned into many products.
Liu said that hempseed oil is rich in omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid, and seeds are a good source of both. He explains that hempseed oil contains a high amount of unsaturated fats, which are good for the heart and can also lower blood pressure.
Liu, in his video clip, said that there was still work to do before the nutritional benefits of hemp could be fully realized.
He said, “We would like to use the hemp seed in its entirety.” He explained that while oil is one of the best parts of hemp seed, there are also other benefits, like the protein content and fibers, which we can use to make the seeds more beneficial. These are healthy ingredients which can be combined to make a wide variety of food.
Liu said at the time that hemp seeds could be used in two ways. “One is that you use the whole grains, the whole seeds… The other way to do it is to take out some of the components to incorporate the formulation of a lot of common foods.”
A group of officials in charge of controlling livestock feed voted last year to permit commercial farmers to use hemp seed meal for the food of egg-laying chickens. According to the FDA’s new recommendation, hemp meal may account for as much as 20 percent of the diet of egg-laying hens.
In the wake of hemp being legalized at the federal level under the 2018 Farm Bill (Farm Bill), there is a growing interest in using the plant to produce fiber, nutrition and intoxicating compounds. In addition, hemp seed meals are being considered as a good option for feed.
In late 2023, for example, New York lawmakers sent Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) a bill that would have legalized hemp seed as a feed ingredient for horses, llamas and household pets, though the governor ultimately vetoed the measure, citing lack of safety information on the practice.
Nevertheless, the topic has gained attention within the scientific community.
Separately, FDA in 2022 sent warning letters to a number of businesses marketing CBD products for animals, cautioning that there’s a “lack of data on what levels of potential residues are safe for a person consuming the foods that come from CBD-treated animals.”
In April 2023, however, the USDA found that cows that are fed hempseed cake retain very low concentrations of THC and CBD in their bodies, indicating that meat products from hemp-fed cattle are safe for human consumption.
Another federally funded study published in 2022 found that feeding cows hemp in fact reduces their stress levels. Researchers have also previously looked into how CBD affects stress and pain in horses.
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