The Arsenal Files 6/The Arsenal Files 6 (Arsenal Computer).ISO/food/rella.zip/HEMPINFO.TXT

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NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF HEMP SEEDS AND OIL

Provided by Sharon's Finest (1-707-576-7050).
Data is courtesy of Don Wirtshafter,
Owner of Ohio Hempery (1-800-289-4367).

Analysis of Hemp Seeds
Moisture        5.7%
Fat            30%
Protein (Nx6.25)    22.5%
Ash            5.9%
Energy            503 Calories/100g
Carbohydrates        35.8%
Carotene (Vit. A)    16,800 IU/lb
Thiamine (B1)        0.9mg/100g
Riboflavin (B2)        1.1mg/100g
Pyridoxine (B6)        0.3mg/100g
Niacin (B3)        2.5mg/100g
Vitamin C        1.4mg/100g
Vitamin D         <10 IU/100g
Vitamin E        3 mg/100g
Insoluble Dietary Fiber    32.1%
Soluble Dietary Fiber    3.0%
Total Dietary Fiber    35.1%


Analysis of Hemp Seed Oil (Oil ONLY)
Moisture        19%
Vitamin A         8,700 IU / pound
Vitamin E        <1 mg / 100g
Phosphatides        0.03%
Chlorophyll        6 ppm
Fat Stability AOM    5 hours
Free Fatty Acid        0.94%
Insoluble Matter    0.01%
Iodine Value        166.5
Peroxide Value        7.0 meg/kg
Saponification Value    192.8
Specific Gravity    0.9295 at 20 C
Unsaponifiable Matter    0.28%
Smoke Point        165 C
Flash Point        141 C
Melting Point        (-8C)


Fatty Acid Breakdown of Hemp Oil
Component Name         Carbon Chain        % of Total FA
Palmitic Acid        C16:0                6.1
Palmitoleic Acid    C16:1                0.3
Heptadecanoic Acid    C17:0                0.2
Stearic Acid        C18:0                2.1
Oleic Acid        C18:1               12.0
Linoleic Acid        C18:2               56.9*  (LA)
Gamma Linolenic Acid    C18:3                1.7   (GLA)
Linolenic Acid        C18:3               18.9*  (LNA)
Arachidic Acid        C20:0                0.5
Eicosenoic Acid        C20.1                0.3
Behenic Acid        C22:0                0.3
Erucic Acid        C22:1                0.2
Lignoceric Acid        C24.0                0.3
Nervonic Acid        C24:1                0.2
"*"=essential fatty acid.  This 3:1 LA:LNA ratio is called "the optimum
balance" by Dr. Udo Erasmus, author of the book "Fats that Heal, Fats
that Kill," generally recognized as the bible of edible oils and fats.
"GLA" is Omega-6 Super GLA, commonly found in fish and flax seed oils

Protein Scan of Hemp Seeds
Amino Acid              mg/g seeds
Phosphoserine             0.9
Aspartic Acid + Asparagine    19.8
Glutamic Acid + Glutamine    34.8
Threonine                   3.7
Serine                 8.6
Proline                 7.3
Glycine                 9.7
Alanine                 9.6
Valine                 3.0
Cystine + Cysteine         1.2
Methionine             2.6
Cystathionine               0.9
Isoleucine             1.5
Leucine                 7.1
Tyrosine             5.8
Phenylalanine             3.5
Tryptophan             0.6
Ethanolamine             0.4
Lysine                 4.3
Histidine              2.5
Arginine            18.8

Mineral Assay Of Sterilized Hemp Seeds
Element           ppm
Aluminum        54.0
Antimony     1.75
Arsenic         0.3
Barium         6.48
Beryllium     0.04
Boron         9.5
Cadmium             0.28
Calcium          1680.0
Chromium     0.65
Cobalt         0.53
Copper        12.0
Germanium     2.67
Iodine         0.84
Iron           179.0
Lead         0.027
Lithium         0.062
Magnesium     6059.0
Manganese    95.43
Mercur          <0.001
Molybdenum     0.51
Nickel         5.0
Phosphorus    8302.0
Platinum     9.23
Potassium     6170.0
Selenium     0.02
Silicon        13.8
Silver         0.40
Sodium        22.0
Strontium     7.33
Sulfur          2394.0
Thorium             8.12
Tin         2.6
Titanium     1.78
Tungsten     1.84
Vanadium     0.84
Zinc            82.0
Zirconium     1.23

11 November, 1995




Be sure to visit Sharon's Finest in the virtual 'Land of Rella' at
http://www.rella.com.

HEMP FOODS OVERVIEW

by Richard Rose

When hemp's potential for commercialization is discussed most
people think of clothing, fabric, cordage and the like.  Even though hemp
seed is far more nutritious than soybean in virtually all respects and
almost as versatile, the typical reaction to hemp as a food is that it
has limited application beyond nut bars and cookies.  However, I am
convinced that the potential for hemp as a food ingredient in
industrialized nations, and especially the U.S., matches or exceeds the
potential for textiles.  And for one simple reason: essential fatty acids
(EFAs).

*Essential Fatty Acids*

Dr. Udo Erasmus, an authority on edible fats and oils, declared
hemp oil "Nature's most perfectly balanced oil" for its high content and
optimal 1:3 ratio of the two essential fatty acids Omega-3 Linolenic Acid
(LNA) and Omega-6 Linoleic Acid (LA).  Its unusually well-balanced
profile means that one could use it for a lifetime without without ever
suffering from EFA deficiency.  Also, that it contains Omega-6 Gamma-
Linolenic Acid (GLA) makes it unique among edible seed oils (no other
common seed oil contains GLA).

What's the big deal about EFAs?  Consider this: in recent years
consumers have been changing their diets to reduce, and in many cases
eliminate, their intake of dietary fats.  Diets based on the theories and
books of Drs. Pritikin and McDougall call for only 10% of calories coming
from fat, and the new official U.S. guidelines suggest calories from fat
be at 30%. Consumers got the message in a big way, so food companies have
responded by introducing new lower-fat and fat-free products at a
phenomenal rate.  And food industry magazines all chant the new mantra:
"cut the fat."  The biggest growth in the previously stagnant food
ingredient industry have been in mimetics, enhancers, and extenders
designed just to replace or reduce fat in foods.

But what happens when fat is reduced in the diet?  Other than for
concentrated energy, the reason humans must consume fat is to get an
adequate supply of the two essential fatty acids LNA and LA...that's why
they are called "essential" and all the rest are just plain "fatty
acids."  Typical modern food fat sources (soy and corn oils) are woefully
low or lacking in EFAs, plus they are usually hydrogenated thereby
ruining the goodness they did have.  As this already meager EFA supply is
cut further by a fat-reduction diet, intake of EFAs drops below the
required level.  Over time an essential fatty acid deficiency will
develop.  EFA deficiency may lead to abnormal eye and neurological
function, hypertension, hormonal imbalance, impaired wound healing and
cell growth, while a lack of GLA may lead to arthritis and pre-menstrual
syndrome.

The daily recommended intake of LA is 3% to 6% of calories (9 to 18
grams, about 0.5 ounce or 1 tablespoon), and about 1/3 that for LNA
(hence the optimum ratio of 1:3).  The only way to prevent EFA deficiency
is to consume EFAs in sufficiently high amounts relative to other fats
(increasing the percent of calories from fat supplied by EFAs).
Therefore the quality of fat in one's diet is critically important,
especially when one reduces fat intake.  Simply put, think of EFAs as
"good" fat and all other fats as "bad" fat.  This concept will be
popularized in the months and years to come in the popular media.  And
when it does, hemp foods and hemp oil will be at the head of the "good
fat" line, since it is 80% EFAs.  (Just behind will be flax, evening
primrose, borage, and other lesser EFA sources.  But while these fats
do contain one or both EFAs, none have the sheer quantity of both EFAs,
plus GLA, that hemp does.)  As the trend towards "nutraceuticals"
(nutritional foods or substances which prevent disease) continues, the
increasingly sophisticated consumer will demand healthy "good" fats from
their foods, and hemp has the best prospects for meeting that demand.

For more information on EFAs I recommend 2 books: "Fats That Heal,
Fats That Kill" by Dr. Udo Erasmus, ISBN 0-920470-38-6, and "Essential
Fatty Acids in Health and Disease" by Dr. Edward N. Siguel, ISBN 0-
9642534-0-2.  They are available from many hemp product mail order
vendors, or your local bookstore.

*Hemp As Food*

It is taught that Buddha ate one hemp seed a day for three years in
his ascetic period.  If hemp seed was good enough for Buddha, it should
be good enough for us.  But how, and in what form?  Other than ancient
Shinto religious foods such as "asanomi," hemp seed does not enjoy a long
and rich history of use as food like, say, soybeans do.  Even though hemp
has been in existence twice as long as soybeans, the seed's hard coat not
only protects its abundance of nutrients, but also makes it more
difficult to use for food.

Hemp foods are typically made from seed.  It is impossible for the seed
to ever contain any THC, the psychoactive component in Marihuana,
which is produced in the flowering tops of the female.  Hemp foods are
high in TLC, not THC.  There even exists certified low THC
(less than 1.4%) strains of hemp in Europe, for fiber production.
In the U.S. and Canada, quite unlike elsewhere in the world, hemp
seed must be rendered incapable of growing in order to be
legal.  (Of course, producing drug-free hemp or hemp seed without the
proper permits in the U.S. is the crime of marihuana cultivation. A
recent article in the Colorado Law Review, volume 66 issue 4, states that
the intent of Congress was never to ban hemp production, a ban which was
waived during World War II.  Or in the words of the infamous Harry J.
Anslinger, the government's leading advocate for marihuana prohibition:
"[T]hey can go ahead and raise hemp just as they have always done it."
The article sheds light on many legal avenues for achieving an end to
hemp prohibition.)

*Sterilization*

Since thousands of tons of hemp seed are imported into the U.S.
every year (mostly for bird seed) an infrastructure exists for
sterilization of the imported viable hemp seed.  There are many plants
around the country which receive the imported viable seed under customs
bond, nominally steam it at 212 degrees F for 15 minutes, then release it
to the consignee or customer with a certificate of sterilization.  I have
never heard of radiation used to sterilize hemp seed in the U.S., or
elsewhere.  Additionally, it wouldn't be economically feasible to do so,
it is not warranted, and there are few facilities for it.  Ethyl bromide
may be used on hemp seed, as it used on all imported seed.  It is said to
be sufficiently volatile so as not to remain on the treated seed very
long.

(In the U.S. I strongly suggest that when you purchase hemp seed
request the vendor supply you with a copy of such a certificate, and keep
it physically near the seed as well as a copy in your files.  An early
developer of hemp foods, Alan Brady, was arrested in California because
the cleaning mill he took his seed to called the Sheriff.  Although
charges were dropped and his seed was returned, cases such as this
illustrate the need for keeping a certificate of sterilization on hand.)

Much is made of the alleged degradation to the seed by the steam
sterilization process.  I have seen no research to support such a
conclusion. I believe that little damage is done to the seed by the
steaming process, especially the fat, for a variety of reasons: 1) the
coat is very hard and usually remains intact; 2) the internal temperature
of the seed is certainly well below 212 degrees F; 3) the seed moves
about as it is steamed and thus can cool intermittently during the 15
minute process; 4) the protein is definitely not denatured by the
process; 5) fats are not transformed at this temperature, although if a
seed coat was broken it could begin to oxidize due to the heat and
oxygen; 6) birds continue to thrive on the sterilized seed; 7) the
process was designed to apply the minimum amount of heat to render the
seed non-viable while still maintaining nutrition for birds; and 8) most
expeller-pressed hemp oil is subjected to internal temperatures exceeding
that of steaming, and for a longer period of time.  However, I do believe
that overall quality degradation of "freshness" is accelerated by the
sterilization process, most evident in seed stored for longer periods of
time.

The true senselessness of requiring sterilization of seed that is
incapable of producing usable quantities of the drug THC is that the
sprouting of hemp seed is the key to using it for many foods!  Sprouting
increases nutrition, improves digestibility, reduces cost (1 pound of
seed will yield 3 pounds of sprouts, thereby cutting the cost by two-
thirds), and most importantly, improves ease of handling since the coats
are split and can be removed with water agitation or other methods.  This
is why companies in countries that don't require sterilization have the
edge in the production of hemp foods, especially for export. Fresh, raw,
viable hemp seed is as tasty as sunflower kernels, very edible with no
seed coats lodging in the teeth.  There is the possibility of using
natural enzymes to soften and remove the seed coat, which needs further
research.

*Foods From Hemp*

There are 3 general methods for preparing foods from hemp seed:
using whole seed, milling the seed, and using the oil directly.  In whole
seed processing the seed is left intact and incorporated as an ingredient
in a mixture, such as in Hempeh(tm) Burgers or Mama Indica's seed treats,
or is further processed whole, such as Jamaica Jay's roasted and seasoned
snack seeds.

Milling the seed is best for products for which one prefers that
the seed not remain whole, and that it not contain solely the fat portion
of the seed.  Milled seed foods may contain noticeable ground seed
particulates, such as One Brown Mouse cookies, or may be further
processed to remove seed coat particles, such as HempRella(tm).
Additionally, raw or roasted hemp seed may be specially milled into a
butter similar to nut butter, a delicacy long prized in eastern Europe
but currently unavailable in the U.S.

Hemp seed can be processed very much like soybeans are for use in
soymilk, tofu, and secondary soyfoods.  As with soybeans, a larger hemp
seed with higher protein content is best.  Soaking, milling, cooking, and
extracting the fiber are the stages of soymilk production, which are also
the same for hemp milk production.  From soymilk one could make tofu,
frozen dessert, cheese, or hundreds of other products, and so it is for
hemp milk.  There are few soy-based foods that could not be made from
hemp seed.

Using just hemp oil is useful in fat-based products such as Seldom
Seen Green salad dressing, or in any product for which fat is an
ingredient, such as frozen desserts or baked goods.  However, this is the
highest cost alternative, since hemp oil currently is in the US$75 to
$120 per gallon range and seed is $0.60 to $2.00 (or equalized to
relative oil content and expressed in gallons, seed is $16 to $53).  When
using oil as an ingredient the quality of the oil is extremely critical,
since if it is of low quality (rancid) the finished product will have a
short shelflife and off-flavor and free radical formation.

*About Hemp Oil*

Hemp oil can be extracted by mechanical or chemical methods, as is
used for soybean, flax, and other edible oils and fats.  Far more
critical to the quality of the finished oil than sterilization of the
seed is the method of oil extraction.  The optimal processing technique
is that the seed is crushed without solvent in an environment free of
light and oxygen, with as little heat as possible, quickly cooled, and
kept that way through final packaging or bottling.  Not all oil
extraction plants have the capability of producing oil in this manner.
Immediately after crushing, natural anti-oxidants should be added, such
as odorless rosemary extract and Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol).  These
protect the oil in the package, and increase stability by reducing
oxidation, which causes rancidity.

Oil rancidity is absolutely to be avoided in any food since it is
toxic, damaging cell membranes and impairing liver function and the
immune system.  Rancidity can sometimes, but not always, be noticed by a
strange flavor and feeling (an astringency or burning) felt in the mouth
and back of the throat.  The measure of rancidity is how much peroxide
and other toxic oxidation products have formed in the oil, called
Peroxide Value (PV), and is expressed as number of milli-equivalents per
kilogram.  It is the best standard for measurement of rancidity, varies
by oil source, and should always be less than 10.  Some very carefully
pressed and bottled oils can be as low as 0.5, and olive oil often
measures in at 20 because of the easy and low-tech nature of its
pressing.  Commercial corn oil often goes as high as 60 because the level
at which corn oil becomes unpalatable is 100.  The PV at which the taste
of an oil is objectionable varies from oil to oil, and I know of no
studies which determined that level in hemp seed oil, although palatable
hemp oil has been measured at PV=7.  Whenever buying hemp oil always ask
for a copy of the results of the Peroxide Value test performed on that
batch, or test it yourself for US$50 to $100 at most nutritional testing
labs.  The Smoke Point of hemp oil is 165 degrees C, the Flash Point is
141 degrees C, and the Melting Point is minus 8 degrees C.

Hemp seed is available through specialty seed brokers (always ask
for food-grade seed), importers such as Ohio Hempery, and most other mail
order vendors.  Hemp oil is available from many mail order vendors of
hemp products.  Hemp seed and oil should always be stored in a cool,
dark, and dry place.  Hemp seed oil may be frozen, but should not be used
for frying.  It is naturally pleasant-tasting and green in color due to
magnesium-rich chlorophyll and carotene.  Currently at least six
companies in the Americas market bulk hemp oil, with most of it pressed
in the U.S. under good conditions, some pressed in Canada which is
bleached and deodorized, and more oil pressed in South America under
questionable conditions.  I know of no certified organic hemp seed,
although some is rumored to be ready next year.

*Getting Started Making Hemp Foods*

The following is a basic hemp milk recipe.  Of course, add more
seeds to make it thicker and less to make a thinner hemp milk.

2 cups of hemp seed
6 cup bowl
drainer or colander
very hot or boiling water
blender (preferably a Vita-Mix)
towel
clean fine weave cotton or hemp cloth, approximately 18 inches square
rubber gloves

Pour 2 cups of hemp seed into a 6 cup bowl.  Place under faucet and
allow water to flood bowl for 1 minute, while agitating seeds with your
hand.  Knock down any floating seeds but allow debris and deformed seeds
to float away.  Stop water and allow bowl to sit in a warm place for 24
hours, then rinse again.  Allow to sit in a warm place for another 24
hours.  Rinse again, then remove water by emptying bowl into a fine mesh
screen, drainer or colander to drain.

Pour seeds into blender and fill to top with very hot or boiling
water, allowing enough space to keep contents from overflowing when
turned on.  (For safety cover with towel.)  Blend on low, then high for 2
minutes.  While blending, clean and rinse the bowl, put colander into it,
lay cotton or hemp cloth flat into colander, and put on rubber gloves.

Stop blender, and carefully pour contents into flat cloth, allowing
hot liquid to drain into bowl.  Once most liquid has drained gather
corners of cloth together and twist, pressurizing contents in the middle
of the cloth, draining into the bowl.  Continue to twist until done.  The
contents of the cloth can be used as a fiber source in baked goods or
burgers (yes, it will be gritty).  The resulting liquid is fresh hemp
milk suitable for use as a base for beverage, ice cream, yogurt, tofu,
cheese, dip, spread, or to replace milk or other liquid in a recipe.  Be
sure to cool quickly by putting the bowl into the freezer for 1 hour.
Fresh hemp milk has an off-white to slightly green or gray appearance,
and is pleasant tasting.  It will spoil easily, so keep well
refrigerated.

*Nutritional Comparison of Hemp Seed to Soybean*

per 100 grams    Hemp Seed     Soybean
Protein         24.5 g         34 g
Linolenic acid     6 g            1.2 g
Linoleic acid      18 g           8.75 g
LNA:LA ratio     1:3            1:7  (1:3=optimum)
GLA         0.5 g          none
Fiber         35 g           4.5 g
Calcium         168 mg         190 mg
Phosphorus     830 mg         470 mg
Iron         18 mg          7 mg
Thiamine     0.9 mg         0.5 mg
Niacin         2.5 mg         2 mg
Riboflavin     1.1 mg         0.2 mg

Please note that unlike hemp seed, soybean suffers from the anti-
nutritional factors trypsin inhibitor (which prevents protein absorption)
and oligosaccharides (causes flatulence).  Also, due to frequent exposure
to soy and other reasons, a significant portion of the population is
allergic to soy, unlike hemp seed.  For more detailed nutritional
information on hemp seed and hemp oil ask via email to [e-mail].

Bio on author:

Richard Rose is founder and president of Sharon's Finest, a 15 year-old
food product development and marketing firm located in Santa Rosa
California.  In the 1980s he invented and marketed over 60 new products
based on tofu and soymilk, including the company's current main product
TofuRella(r), sales of which landed Sharon's Finest on the _Inc. 500_ list
of fastest growing companies in the U.S. in 1993.  His personal mission
is to popularize the use of hemp seed for food, starting with his latest
products HempRella(tm) cheese alternative and Hempeh(tm) Burgers.
Richard is Chairman of the Food Committee and serves on the Board of the
Hemp Industries Association, is a member of International Hemp Association
as well as the Institute for Food Technologists, writes a monthly column on
hemp for _Perceptions_ magazine, and has an MBA from Sonoma State University.

He may be reached via phone at [phone] (direct line), fax at (707)
545-7116, or email at [e-mail].

Written 25 October, 1995.


Richard Rose of Sharon's Finest Healthy Alternatives in the
Land of Rella: TofuRella, HempRella, VeganRella, Zero-FatRella,
AlmondRella, and Hempeh Burgers.  P.O. Box 5020, Santa Rosa CA
95402, USA, Phone: [phone], Direct line: [phone],
Fax: [phone], Email: [e-mail], http://www.rella.com