2022-02-03
University of Hohenheim: Hemp Protein instead of Pig
Anyone who only has colorful dreams in mind when they hear the word hemp is thinking too briefly. Hemp not only has enormous medical potential. Hemp is also increasingly attracting the interest of science, companies and consumers as a basis for new types of ecologically and sustainably produced food.Researchers at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart have teamed up with Signature Products in Pforzheim, a leading raw materials trader for hemp products, to develop hemp seeds as a new protein source for human nutrition. The sonorous project name TASTINO stands for "SchniTzel, Hemp Tofu, PASTa & Co from the Reallabor Hemp - proteIN-based food from regiOnal hemp cultivation".
More and more people are turning to products made from plant protein instead of animal protein. This is where hemp comes into play. "The seeds have up to 25 percent protein, the composition of which is similar to that of egg white. It contains all the essential amino acids and thus has a high biological value," says Dr. Forough Khajehei of the University of Hohenheim, describing the advantages of hemp protein. It is easy to digest and has a meat-like texture that makes it feel like biting into meat in the mouth.
Florian Pichlmaier, managing director of Signature Products, adds, "Most of the products that are currently still made from soy or pea protein could be produced from sustainably and regionally produced hemp proteins in the future.
In addition to the many economic uses of hemp seed, the Hohenheim researchers are also investigating the social acceptance of the products. However, they assure that the intoxicating effect does not play a role: commercial or industrial hemp is practically free of the psychoactive substance THC.