Many Australian pet owners may not realise this, but it seems hemp seed feed products for animals are still illegal in Australia.
It was back in November 2017 when Food Standards Australia New Zealand finally permitted hemp seed products to be consumed by humans – the countries were the last in the world to lift a ban. As the availability of products for people grew, so too did those intended for animal consumption.
But it turns out that even though Australians can legally purchase and consume hemp seed products, the same doesn’t apply to consumption by pets – and other animals. Some vendors of hemp pet food products were making health claims that led to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) considering all products containing cannabis or cannabinoids as Veterinary Medicines – and these require registration.
The APVMA isn’t convinced hemp seed ingredients are non-therapeutic and used for sustenance only, claiming it has a lack of information.
In an effort to get hemp-seed based animal feed over the line, the Australian Hemp Council (AHC) held meetings with APVMA and the Federal Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF); followed by penning a letter to Federal Agricultural Minister Murray Watt. Minister Watt deferred to the instruction of the APVMA.
The APVMA has since offered several pathways to compliance. The AHC has chosen to pursue two of them, being:
- Hemp fractions used for sustenance purposes only must undergo a technical assessment by APVMA.
- Hemp fractions used in a product making claims but are not the therapeutic ingredient (e.g. hemp seed oil) must undergo an Ingredient Determination by the APVMA.
“Fractions” refers to hulls (the shell) and meal, which is produced by grinding or milling the cake; a waste product that remains after pressing hemp seeds to extract oil. The meal retains a high level of beneficial nutrients, making it a desirable ingredient for animal feed.
A major challenge for the AHC in its efforts is money. Combined fees for the pathways could be more than $50,000 and it is running a campaign called Paws for Wellness to raise funding. Dr. Bronwyn Blake, who is leading the AHC initiative, has published a guide to understanding the regulatory barriers and AHC’s efforts to address them here.
