Group Wants Hemp Approved as Industrial Chicken Feed

The Hemp Feed Coalition is planning to submit an application for the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine to get hemp seed, meal, and cake approved for use in chicken diets, Feed Navigator reports. Hunter Buffington, HFC program director, indicated the process could take at least 18 months from the time the application is submitted.

Specifically, the application seeks approval for as hemp as feed for broiler and egg-laying chickens.

“This is a tedious process overseen by the FDA-CVM. While they have expressed support in fast tracking approvals of applications for hemp and its by-products the process is still slow. For example, when a researcher submits an initial research proposal for pre-approval to the FDA-CVM the agency has 180 days to respond. This is lightning speed for a federal agency but means that even the initial study design will move forward on these timeframes.” – Buffington to Feed Navigator

Buffington added that the global hemp food market is projected to outpace CBD and hemp grain and fiber product production is beginning to increase in the U.S. following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.

Other countries have always used hemp in animal feed, Buffington said in the report, but the HFC is going to have to prove nutritional profiles using American-grown and processed hemp to make their case to regulators. Additionally, the group is going to have to submit any published research, work with feed and species experts to create protocols for feed trials, and “determine a suggested inclusion rate for species along with the intended use of the ingredient.”

Buffington told Feed Navigator that the organization is currently working with Colorado State University on a study for hemp seed meal and cake feed for lambs and have plans to work with Minnesota State University on a study using hemp as swine feed and the University of North Dakota on a trial with beef cattle.