The American Hemp Feed Coalition (HFC) has made its first submission seeking approval for industrial hemp as an animal feed ingredient.
The submission, prepared over nearly two years, was made to the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and the US Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM). HFC aims to legalize hemp seed cake and meal as protein supplements for broilers and laying hens.
Note: Hemp seed cake is the residue left after cold-pressing seeds to extract oil. This nutritious by-product is considered a valuable protein source, but has not been widely researched and is prohibited in animal feed in many countries.
Animal feed in the United States is regulated federally by FDA-CVM and at state level generally by state agriculture departments. AAFCO works with FDA recommendations and promotes uniform feed regulation nationwide.
HFC director Hunter Buffington said: “The hemp industry shared certificates of analysis compiled from across the United States to meet FDA-CVM's strict safety standards and demonstrate that hemp cake and meal can be consistently grown and processed.”
Although ingredient approval for hemp and its by-products is lengthy and complex, HFC says it plans to continue pursuing federal approval of hemp by-products for commercial animal feed.
The main reason hemp has not been permitted in US animal feed is insufficient research. Fortunately, research has accelerated in recent years, including work at Colorado State, North Carolina State and North Dakota State universities. Animal feed is only one of the many benefits the crop could offer farmers.
