In Finland, plans to build up a superfood processing line based on germination by malting were published recently. After an EU consultation round, Golden Malt & Foodfarm were granted market authorization for their superfood processing line of germinated oilseed hemp. According to the recently arrived statement, hemp seeds that are germinated by malting are not considered as novel foods. Even though the Finnish Food Authority’s decision was expected and unambiguous as the seeds germinated by malting have the same raw material sources as the other fractions such as whole and de-hulled seed products, the consultation round was needed in order to ensure there are no legislative barriers to get the product to the market.
Golden Malt and FoodFarm, partners of a joint venture to build a superfood processing line, tasked the Finnish authorities with an assignment to begin an official hearing with the EU to verify the novel food status of germinated oilseed hemp. Since the processing of fractions from oilseed hemp has existed in the markets for many years and novel food authorization is not required for such products.
The received statement allows utilizing oilseed hemp seeds that are germinated by malting. Now, that the status has been checked with the Finnish Food Authority and EU member stated, the partners Golden Malt & Foodfarm can continue to schedule the building of the malting and germinating lines. The first hemp batches will be produced in the autumn of 2021.
Oilseed hemp germinated by malting is considered the newest member of the product family category of oilseed hemp. The ingredient of oilseed hemp is gluten-free and contains all the essential amino acids making it suitable for germination by malting, which enhances the positive features of the seeds. Germination improves the biological activity of the fatty acids and the availability of the minerals. Recent studies have also discovered germinated oilseed hemp to include anti-inflammatory compounds.
The benefits of the drum-malting plant are quality, flexibility and scalability of the production, enabling tailored product batches. With a drum-malting plant tailored for the needs of FoodFarm and Golden Malt, several germinated products can be produced for the food industry and high-quality local malts for the beverage industry.
