Hemp seed meal has cleared a serious hurdle within the U.S. feed market, with the Affiliation of American Feed Management Officers (AAFCO) formally recognizing the by-product as feed for laying hens. The itemizing, revealed in AAFCO’s foundational Official Publication, marks an vital win for the economic hemp and poultry sectors—however advocates warn that bureaucratic snags are slowing market adoption.
The popularity follows practically two years of follow-through after AAFCO’s Ingredient Definition Committee voted in January 2024 to approve hemp seed meal (HSM) for poultry. The ingredient—also referred to as hempseed “cake”—is the high-protein, high-fiber byproduct left after chilly urgent hemp seeds for oil. Advocates say it’s nutrient-rich and secure, with last definitions setting limits of two ppm complete THC and 20 ppm complete CBD.
‘Pure paperwork’
The Hemp Feed Coalition (HFC), which led the push, overcame opposition from Canadian and European hemp commerce teams that argued for various cannabinoid thresholds. These objections have been rejected after the U.S. Meals & Drug Administration’s Middle for Veterinary Drugs validated the definition, assuring regulators that any hint cannabinoids don’t switch to eggs or pose human well being dangers. Regardless of the nationwide itemizing, hemp feed makers nonetheless face a patchwork of state-by-state approvals.
“Even after the approval vote in January 2024, many state regulators denied or stalled purposes for hemp feed till it appeared within the Official Publication,” mentioned Morgan Tweet, CEO of Montana-based IND HEMP. “Some states went even additional—refusing approval till the publication is publicly out there in print for a full 12 months (2027) … These delays don’t have anything to do with science or security; they’re pure paperwork standing in the way in which of market entry.”
AAFCO’s imprimatur doesn’t grant automated state-level acceptance, requiring firms to navigate separate registrations in every jurisdiction. HFC President Andrew Bish referred to as the delays “irritating” however mentioned each approval “strikes hemp nearer to functioning as an actual agricultural commodity” by opening new markets for farmers.
Regulatory pathways
The milestone comes amid adjustments to how feed elements are permitted. In 2024, AAFCO and FDA-CVM opted to not renew a longstanding Memorandum of Understanding, as an alternative creating separate regulatory routes—an AAFCO science advisory panel in partnership with Kansas State College, and an FDA-CVM Ingredient Definition pathway. Bish mentioned HFC stays cautious, noting the Kansas State framework’s launch is already not on time: “Farmers can’t afford to attend.”
“Purposes take scientific rigor, a relationship with the regulators, in addition to {dollars} to pay our science reviewers and writers,” Bish mentioned, urging stakeholders to hitch the coalition to hurry progress.
