Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the seeds are suitable for freezing. If well-wrapped, freezing will extend their shelf life well beyond the usual 12 months.

Yes, hemp seeds contain natural Iodine, approximately 17mcg per serving; 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. The #1 source of Iodine is dried seaweed. An equivalent amount of Wakame (Japanese specific type of seaweed) for example contains about 2000mcg of Iodine. The National Institute of Health recommends daily intake for Iodine to be 150mcg.

There is really no need to soak hemp seeds, they are already soft and easily digested.

No.

All 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. We then cleaned the hemp seeds using vibratory screens and cool air. Again, no heat there. We press the seeds into oil using a screw press, which maintains the temperature below 130F.  The resulting seed cake is milled into flour and then sifted into protein.  Heat is not applied at any point.

All our hemp ingredients contain less than 1g of sugar (fructose or glucose) per 100g. In other words, less than 1%.

The hearts that we sell have had the germ and heart separated from the shell so will not sprout or grow into a plant if you attempt to sprout them or plant them in the ground.

No, currently we do not believe this (considerably high additional expense that you would have to pay) is necessary and here’s why: Heat, air and light all pose a challenge to freshness, but when you restrict exposure of hemp seed oil to air and light, it is much more tolerant of moderate levels of heat. Hemp seed oil contains significant amounts of Vitamin E, which prevents oils from being oxidized. 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.

Cold Pressed means that hemp seeds are pressed for oil using a mechanical press at a low temperature – below 130F, and that the oil is extracted without the use of any chemicals. It has been filtered through a vegan filter media to remove sediment, but has not been refined, bleached or dried to produce a refined oil. It retains all the flavor, aroma and nutritional value, including antioxidants and vitamins, from the moment we squeeze it out of the hemp seed.

Cold Pressed Hemp Seed Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) are similar for both being mechanically cold pressed to maintain temperature always below 130F, without the use of chemicals. They have similar smoke points (EVOO at 350F, Hemp Seed Oil at 330F). Each has a characteristic robust flavor. Both are healthy oils low in saturated fats, and Cold Pressed Hemp Seed Oil has a much higher amount of healthy and harder-to-include Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids.

All our hemp seed is 100% American Grown. Hemp seed is grown for food or fiber across Asia, Europe, Australia, South America and North America. It is believed that hemp cultivation began in Europe in approximately 1,200 BC. China appears to have the longest continuous history of Hemp cultivation (over 6,000 years), with evidence of cultivation dating back to the 5th millennium BC. Japan has a similarly long history of hemp cultivation. France, Spain and Chile have cultivated Hemp for at least 700 years.

No. We test our hemp seeds for heavy metals and the tests indicate extremely low (<.1 ppm, or 100 parts per billion) to undetectable amounts.

Hemp seed contains an excellent source of protein. Hemp seed contains more than 25% of the total seed weight as protein and is second only to soy beans in protein content. Hemp seed also has 20 amino acids the 9 essential amino acids – this makes hemp seed a perfect protein providing all the amino acids that our bodies need. Pea protein and rice protein do not have all 9 essential amino acids. Hemp protein is also free of the sugars found in soy, oligosaccharides, that cause flatulence and stomach discomfort.

The essential fatty acid (EFA) linoleic acid found in Hemp seed oil, and its metabolite gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), has proven to have beneficial therapeutic effects on the skin. Hemp seed oil contains 50%-60% linoleic acid, and also contains GLA. The profile of the fatty acids found in hemp seed closely resembles the skin’s natural lipids and helps reduce dehydration and protect against dry skin.

Hemp Seed Oil and fish oil both contain significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids. A major difference (aside from the flavor, even in a gel capsule!) is that fish concentrate Omega-3’s from eating other fish that have ingested plankton — the plankton make the Omega-3’s – fish don’t make them, they concentrate them. So, we run the risk of the negative side effects of bioaccumulation when eating fish oil for Omega-3’s. Also, Hemp Seed Oil is a healthy crop to grow vs. contributing to the depletion of fish from our oceans.

Yes – carefully. Hemp Seed Oil’s smoke point, or temperature at which it starts to smoke and be degraded by heat, is 330F, just 20 degrees below that of extra virgin olive oil. So – you can sauté at medium to low heat, but frying is too hot for Hemp Seed Oil. This medium-high smoke point for an oil with a high content of Omega-3’s is a strength of Hemp Seed Oil.

Yes, and the nutrition is tremendous. People have been eating hemp foods for thousands of years. As with any food, ensure a balanced diet and eat in moderation. Hemp foods are high in protein, healthy fats and minerals such as iron and magnesium and so can be particularly valuable when budgeted into an overall diet to supply those nutrients. And, of course, pregnant women should consult their doctor if they have questions about their diet during pregnancy as they will be able to address the specific nutrition needs for the individual. 

Hemp contains all 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential and 2 semi-essential amino acids for the human body and holds a 33% protein content in hulled hemp seed form (without shell) and 50% in our Hemp Protein50. Hemp is especially high in Edestin, which is easily digestible and a major component of egg whites. Edestin is a globular protein (biologically active) as opposed to fibrous protein (structural). Though the human body can manufacture globular proteins from any protein source, it is much more efficient for the body to make globulins from digestible globular proteins. Hemp is also high in albumin. Our spec sheets present the full amino acid profile for hemp.

About 49% of the weight of hempseed is an edible oil that contains 76% as essential fatty acids; i.e., linoleic acid, omega-6 (LA, 54%), alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 (ALA, 17%), in addition to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA, 3%), monounsaturated fat (5% to 11%), and stearidonic acid (2%). Hemp seed oil contains 5% to 7% saturated fat. In common with other oils, hempseed oil provides 9 kcal/g. Compared with other culinary oils it is low in saturated fatty acids. For example, Hemp Seed Oil contains up to 7% saturated fat, while coconut oil is over 82% saturated fat. A healthy diet including whole grains, nuts and seeds, contains ample amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids, while Omega-3 fatty acids require more attention to diet to gain adequate amounts without supplementation. Hemp seed foods provide an excellent source in an ideal balance of approximately 3:1 Omega-6 to Omega-3’s.

Certified organic means that the growing and processing have been certified by a body recognized by the USDA organic program to carry out organic certification. So, no pesticides, herbicides or commercial fertilizers on fields for three years, plus soil-building practices, comprise the growing standards. For processing, no non-allowed ingredients, plus many other controls to ensure no mixing with non-certified organic products, ensure organic standards.

Non-organic certified hemp seeds are grown without pesticides or herbicides. None are yet allowed to be used on hemp in the U.S.

No – hemp is not a known allergen. Hemp doesn’t contain any gluten naturally. There is a risk of wheat grains from harvest equipment entering the hemp harvest, but we rigorously clean and then test every batch to ensure our hemp foods contain no gluten.

Yes, hemp is naturally non-gmo and Victory Hemp Foods takes the added step of Non-GMO Project certification to reflect our care in sourcing and processing to avoid any cross-contamination with GMO foods.

No – isolates remove other components of the whole food to create a high percentage of one component.  When you press a hemp seeds to oil it is no different than taking a grape and squeezing it between your fingers to remove the juice. The shriveled 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). We then grind the coarse ‘cake’ into flour and then sift it to remove some of the fiber (from the shells).  The resulting Hemp Protein50 is a whole food that is easy to digest.

All our hemp seeds are grown on U.S. farms. We buy from farmers across the U.S. as we work to build hemp seeds as the next major crop in the U.S.

When whole hemp seeds (including the shell) are first pressed to squeeze out the oil, the solids remaining from the crushed seeds are ground. The resulting powder or flour contains approximately 33% protein. This coarse hemp flour is then sifted to separate away some of the fiber. The resulting fine powder contains over 50% protein. We call this Hemp Protein50. It is essentially a gluten free flour. Hemp Protein50 can be substituted for other flours at 5% up to 30% in many recipes. Keep in mind that without the gluten in the hemp’s portion of the flour, the structure of the baked good may change. Start small and have fun with the experimentation! Hemp substitutes 1:1 easily for corn meal and other gluten-free superfood flours. Hemp Protein50 of course also makes great high protein smoothies.

All our products contain less than 0.01% (or 10 ppm) THC. Hemp Seeds may be regarded as “THC free” because the levels are tested to be below 10 ppm (parts per million) or 0.01%. The federal limit that separates industrial hemp from THC-containing hemp is 0.3%, or 30X our maximum. What does this mean for you? No matter how much hemp seed foods you eat, it will not result in a positive test for THC. It is certainly impossible to get ‘high’ from eating Hemp Seed products.

Hemp Seed Oil is made from hemp seeds, not the flower of the plant, the flower of the plant is reported to have anti-inflammatory and pain reduction benefits. 

In trace amounts, yes.

On the plant, the whole hemp seed consists of a soft nut with germ (the part that sprouts into a new Hemp plant) and a crunchy outer shell. After harvesting from the plant, cleaning, drying and storage, the seeds ship from the farm to our facility. We further clean the seeds before starting to process them. See our Hemp Seed Processing information page for more information.