As the industrial hemp industry expands in New Zealand, there is a growing interest in using industrial hemp and hemp-derived substances such as hemp oil and hemp seed in animal feed and other agricultural compounds.
NZ Food Safety: Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act (ACVM)
To ensure New Zealand Food Safety are providing up to date information, NZ Food Safety have reviewed how animal feeds and other veterinary products containing industrial hemp and hemp-derived substances are classed under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act 1997 (ACVM Act).
Animal feeds such as grazing forage, silage, hay intended for food-producing animals, as well as pet food, and pet treats intended for companion animals, are regulated as agricultural compounds under the ACVM Act.
ACVM Alerts from MPI 2022, 2022 and 2018
European Food Safety Authority: Scientific Opinion on the safety of hemp for use as animal feed
Following a request from European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety of hemp (Cannabis genus) for use as animal feed.
Cannabinoids in Food
The industrial hemp industry is expanding, and in recent years, many novel hemp-derived products, such as animal feed, have been introduced globally. It is unclear, however, to what extent individual cannabinoids from industrial hemp transfer from feed into animal products and whether they pose a risk to the consumer. The following documentation from Nature Food and the European Commission review this topic.