Health ministers met at the Forum of Food Regulation on Friday, allowing for a new standard that will come into effect within six months.
"The standard will take effect six months after it has been gazetted and ministers acknowledged that there is still a range of New Zealand and State and Territory legislation that currently prohibits the sale of low-THC hemp seeds as a food which will need to be amended,” a briefing from the meeting read.
The move has been met with praise by dietitians, with Associate Professor of Nutritional Science at the University of Canberra Dr Duane Mellor describing the health benefits of the seed which are renowned for their high level protein and essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3.
“It can be used as a crushed seed, flour, oil or protein powder, which can be used in a variety of recipes and foods, from breads, through burger patties and even in desserts and confectionery.” Dr Mellor said in a statement released by Hemp Foods Australia to the media.
The local hemp industry is also celebrating the move, with Paul Benhaim, chief executive of Hemp Foods Australia stating he expects business to quadruple over the next year with the plant-based food able to be used as an ingredients in an array of different forms, including flour, oil and protein powder.
“Hemp seeds contain high quality protein and the good fats, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids, and are the only food to contain Omega 3 and 6 in the correct amounts to meet our long-term nutritional needs,” Benhaim said. “We expect to see hemp seeds, protein oil and flour used by Australian restaurants and many manufacturers in their recipes.”
The initial refusal to legalise the seed was due to concerns that the THC that exists within hemp would result in positive readings on oral, urine and blood tests, with the U-turn coming after a new study was released by Swinburne University that concluded this was unlikely to occur when consuming low-THC foods.
