Sustainable Hemp innovations - From waste to win

Important results from the project

** Denna text är maskinöversatt ** The project mainly aimed to acquire new knowledge and new skills about hemp, its cultivation ability and the extraction possibility of hemp protein, properties and potential for use in new foods The aim was to use this knowledge to develop new or improved types of processes and product prototypes in the dairy and meat analogue segment for the vegan and vegetarian market, thereby increasing the resource efficiency of Swedish-grown hemp and creating economic and environmental sustainability.

Expected long term effects

The project resulted in new knowledge and the development of an extraction process that was tested in scale-up trials. The properties of the extracted protein proved to have great potential to be used for various types of food applications. The protein has been used in the production of extruded meat analogs for which a new type of extrusion process has been developed that reduces energy consumption by over 70%, as well as the production of ice cream prototypes. In addition, meat analogs based on commercial hemp concentrate and gluten or chickpea have been developed and sensory tested.

Approach and implementation

All participants of the project team ensured that the content, structure, and implementation both maintained a high scientific level and that the results were relevant to the activities of the industrial partners. The work packages were carried out according to the plans and well anchored in the project´s overall objective, and the project team´s knowledge and skills were utilized and strengthened. Regular project meetings and activities created an open and equal atmosphere where everyone had a say and everyone´s opinions and ideas were well received.