Hemp FAQs

All of our hemp seeds are harvested either by machine or by hand. Those harvested by machine are cut at the stalk and stripped of their seeds. No heat used there. They are then stored in bags and put on cleaning machines which consist of vibratory screens and cool air blowing. Again, no heat there. We receive the clean seeds in bulk packs. On receipt of the materials the products are either pressed into oil, dehulled or milled into protein.

Our hulling process is purely mechanically and the temperature does not exceed 25 degrees Celsius Our milling process uses a proprietary technology we developed ourselves. It is air-cooled to ensure our protein does not exceed 40 degrees Celsius for more than a few seconds. The rest of the time the product is processed at 20 degrees Celsius. Our oil press is a true cold-press which reaches no more than 45 degrees Celsius for a few seconds before it is rapidly cooled. During the entire process – from farm to packaging and in between, all processes are carried out in a temperature controlled environment – below 20 degrees Celsius for the processing room, and around 10 degrees Celsius for storage and transport – until the product leaves in the post for consumers or distributors (distributors receive our product in refrigerated transport). We hope this information assists in choosing what we believe are the best quality Hemp seed products.

Our Hemp Seeds, Oil and Protein Powder all contain less than 1g of sugar (fructose or glucose) per 100g. In other words, less than 1%. Nothing is added – all natural.

Iodine is not only important for proper Thyroid function it is believed to prevent your body from absorbing radioactive Iodine from nuclear contamination such as the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. Hemp Seeds do contain natural Iodine, approximately 17µg per serve; about 3 times as much as you would get from the same amount of Navy beans or 6 times as much as you would get from the same amount of Potato, both of which are sources of Iodine. The #1 source of Iodine is dried seaweed. An equivalent amount of Wakame for example contains about 2000µg of Iodine. The Australian Government recommended daily intake for Iodine is 150µg.

No, currently we do not believe this (considerably high additional expense that you would have to pay) is necessary and here’s why: For 20 years we have worked with various manufacturers and laboratories and the question of whether shipping oil unrefrigerated during summer results in damage to the oil has been put to the test. Here’s what we found; while it is true that heat, air and light all pose a challenge to freshness, when you restrict the oil’s exposure to air and light, it is much more tolerant of moderate levels of heat for at least a few days and probably longer. Here’s something else to consider – Hemp plants grow outdoors in the fresh air, exposed to heat and light from the sun – all at the same time. In summer the seeds may spend day after day, week after week in temperatures up to or even above 40? (104?) and yet the oils stay fresh and vital. How so? It is because the seed coats and pods protect the oil inside the seeds from coming into contact with air or light. Another reason is that Hemp oil contains a lot of Vitamin E which prevents oils from being oxidised. Under these conditions of high Vitamin E with little to no air or light – the oils remain perfectly fresh and vital, undamaged by the surrounding heat. Certainly enough for transporting to you.

How we protect your oil

Unlike some seed presses, we use a true cold-pressing technique, so the oil comes out cool, goes through our vegan filtration system (I bet you didn’t know many seed oils have been filtered with animal parts) and then goes straight into dark glass bottles that are flushed with cold nitrogen to expel all the oxygen as the bottle is sealed. It then goes into our cold room; no heat, no air, no light.

So up until the time you take it home and open the lid the oil has never been exposed to heat while in the presence of light or oxygen and has never been exposed to high heat. In fact 99% of the time is spent in the absence of all three – heat, light and oxygen. What you hold in your hands is as fresh and vital as the oil contained inside a seed out in the field.

In Australia and New Zealand the hemp products we sell, as stated on our product page and all invoices are strictly for external use only. You may take these products overseas, and for our export customers we provide further ideas on how to use:

Hemp Seeds – ‘make any meal good for you’

Simply eat the soft tasty little nuggets right out of the bag or add to any (sweet, spicy or savoury) meal for a nutritious boost. It is especially popular to add 1 or 2 tablespoons to a bowl of breakfast cereal or a smoothie; they even go well with yoghurt or ice cream.

Click here to download our brochure for export customers. Download nutrient data sheets (nutritional analysis) for Hemp Seeds, Protein and Oil.

Hemp Protein – ‘perfect for smoothies’

The easiest way to use Hemp Protein powder is to add at least 2 tablespoons to a smoothie. Athletes wishing to recover faster and those wanting to build clean lean muscle may wish to double or triple this amount to make sure their bodies have an ample supply of muscle building nutrients through the day.

Hemp Oil – ‘nourishes you inside and out’

Hemp Oil makes an excellent all over face and body moisturiser and massage base oil to which you can add your favourite essential oils. It is highly absorbent and won’t leave you greasy. Another popular way to increase your intake of essential fatty acids is to mix Hemp oil with balsamic vinegar and use it to dip your favourite bread into. It can also be used to make healthy sauces by combining it with herbs and lemon juice and vegetables such as dried tomatoes in a high powered blender. Hemp oil tastes great just the way it is, direct from the bottle. And of course the easiest way to incorporate Hemp oil into your diet is to just drizzle some over whatever meal you are having; sandwich, curry, salad, pasta, rice – it goes with just about everything. Just remember it should not be used for cooking.

Read more:
http://www.hempfoods.com.au/frequently-asked-questions/#.V3vyp0srK1s

Read more:
http://www.hempfoods.com.au/frequently-asked-questions/#.V3vyp0srK1s

Read more:
http://www.hempfoods.com.au/frequently-asked-questions/#.V3vyp0srK1s

Please see the Omega 3 section of our website for a detailed comparison.

At least 12 months from manufacture. You will find a best-before date printed on the back of all our seed packets. If you want to extend their life even further, store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Strictly speaking a protein ‘isolate’ is something that has been chemically treated to remove the carbohydrate content thus “isolating” the protein component. This is how Soy, Pea, Whey and Rice protein is made.

Whole Rice ordinarily contains a very small amount of protein – about 2%. In order to get Rice “Protein” which is around 80% protein they use enzymes to separate the carbohydrate from the protein. The original intention was not to produce protein but to produce concentrated rice syrup which is basically 100% sugar. You see this sweetener sold in health food shops and it is used in manufacturing various products. The protein is the leftover byproduct. Rather than paying to have it disposed in the garbage marketers were hired to turn it into a new income-generating commodity despite it’s nutritional inadequacies.

The problem with that isolate is that it is no longer a ‘whole food’ – food that has had necessary digestive components removed is not necessarily good for you. It is difficult for your body to digest and may even cause harm.

Neither Rice, Soy, Pea or Whey proteins are whole foods – they are all true “isolates” that have had the protein component chemically separated from the remainder of the food.

Hemp is different. In 100g of Hemp Seeds you get approximately:

• 33g of protein

• 50g of oil

• 5g of fibre

• 1g of sugar

The remaining 11g consists of vitamins, minerals and water.

When you press Hemp Seeds to squeeze out the oil it is no different to taking a grape and squeezing it in your finger to remove some of the juice. The shrivelled grape left in your fingers is still a whole food that contains the original vitamins, minerals and enzymes necessary for digestion, only some of the water and sugar is now gone (dribbling down your arm).

If you were able to squeeze all 50g of oil out of the 100g of seeds, there would be 50g of dry seed “cake” remaining. That 50g of seed cake still contains the original 33g of protein along with the original vitamins, minerals and enzymes. 33g in 50g means the seed cake would be 66% protein.

There are currently no (natural, non-chemical) seed presses capable of removing 100% of the oil. After our seeds have had as much oil as possible squeezed out of them the dry cake is sifted to separate a small amount of fibre leaving only the fine powder – that powder is approximately 50% protein – with all the original vitamins, minerals and enzymes still intact along with most of the fibre.

It is a whole food that is easy to digest.

Compare that with the other protein powders mentioned above that contain no fibre, no enzymes, little if any vitamins and are high in sodium – it is a recipe for water-retention, bloating and indigestion. Not to mention the allergies that those protein sources are prone to with more than 90% of all the world’s Soy being genetically modified.

Our Certified Organic Hemp Seeds and Protein powder not only contain zero sodium, they are also a good source of potassium which is important for a normal water-balance. You won’t retain water, get bloated or get indigestion and in thousands of years of Hemp consumption, there have never been any reported cases of people being allergic to Hemp.

Yes, in very small amounts. A direct quote from a study on Hemp Seed oil in the Journal of Nutraceuticals, Functional & Medical Foods Vol. 2(4) 2000:

“The medical benefits of plant salicylates have been enjoyed by people for centuries. Today aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid, a close relative of methyl salicylate, is one of the most widely used drugs in the world because of its antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Once injected, methyl salicylate can be hydrolyzed to salicylic acid, a common active ingredient of aspirin and most other salicylates. Thus, pharmacological effects of methyl salicylate are similar to those of aspirin. Also, millions of people regularly take low doses of salicylates (aspirin) to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer. Methyl salicylate deserves particular attention as a beneficial component of hemp oil, even if present in trace quantities!“

No. The industrial hemp used to produce Elixinol is a variety of cannabis that does not contain the psychoactive properties of THC.  Industrial hemp, including that used to produce Elixinol, is essentially a cousin of marijuana, and for most people, a more practical source of cannabinoids.

The Hemp Oil we supply is pressed from industrial Hemp seeds and do not contain THC or the other powerful Cannabinoid compounds found in “Rick Simpson’s popular Cannabis leaf oil.” Maybe you are looking to buy High CBD Hemp Oil?

As is discussed in another FAQ on this page, our Hemp Oil is made from Hemp Seeds, not Hemp leaves therefore contains little to no CBD (Cannabidiol) or THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) which are known to be strong pain relievers. Also, as we are not physicians we are not allowed to comment on the anti-inflammatory properties of Omega 3, 6 and GLA that are present in high amounts in Hemp Seed Oil. Please consult your physician for advice.

Please consult your physician for advice.

Interested in hemp oil with Cannabidiol (CBD)?

When most people think “Hemp Oil” they are typically thinking about Hemp “Seed” Oil – the kind that is used for example as a salad dressing or skin moisturiser – and the one that we, Hemp Foods Australia produce. Hemp Seed Oil (as the name implies) is extracted from the “seeds” of the Hemp plant, appears translucent green, contains large amounts of Omega 3 and 6 but has only trace amounts of ‘CBD’.

There has recently been renewed interest in the oil that is extracted from the leaves and flowers of the Hemp plant, that has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine and healing. This is sometimes also referred to as “Hemp Oil’ which can make it confusing. This Hemp “leaf” oil usually appears black and is a concentrated source of “Cannabinoids” including Cannabidiol (CBD). There are 500+ nutrients found in the Hemp plant, Hemp “leaf” oil also contains small amounts of Omega 3 and Omega 6 but nowhere near the levels found in “seed” oil.

If you are looking for High CBD Hemp Oil we recommend Elixinol, which can be purchased through our shop.

Looking for High CBD Hemp Oil?  Here are some videos you may find interesting to learn more about natural Hemp Oil high in CBD:

https://vimeo.com/hemp

https://vimeo.com/search?q=elixinol

See www.vimeo.com/hemp

https://vimeo.com/search?q=elixinol

When whole Hemp Seeds (including the shell) are first pressed to squeeze out the oil the crushed seeds that remain are ground up into Course Hemp Powder otherwise known as Hemp Flour.

Some of the Hemp Flour is then ground more finely and passed through filters which separate away some of the fibre. The resulting powder is much finer and higher in protein content. This is Hemp Protein powder.

Typically, in places where eating Hemp foods is permitted, the Coarse Hemp Powder (Hemp Flour) is used as a substitute (often around 30%) for regular wheat flour in baking whereas the fine Hemp Protein powder is what is used for making high protein smoothies.

Have a look at “Growing Hemp For Profit” an e-book written by our very own CEO Paul Benhaim which contains everything you could want to know about growing Hemp.