Minnesota is among the first states in which hemp seed meal may be used in certain animal feed, opening new market options for industrial hemp growers.

The Association of American Feed Control Officers (AAFCO) earlier this year added hemp seed meal as a tentative ingredient definition for laying hens. Minnesota allows tentative ingredients to be used in animal feed and pet food.

Hemp seed meal is obtained by grinding or milling the cake that remains after most of the oil has been extracted from the seeds of Cannabis sativa L., said Daniel King, an MDA feed specialist and board member of AAFCO.

“It’s an opportunity to expand the availability of hemp in the market,” he said. “Producers can market it as a specialty ingredient.”

Hemp seed meal can make up no more than 20% of the laying hens’ diet as a source of protein and fat.

The Food and Drug Administration set the final standards with a limit of 2 parts per million (ppm) for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 20 ppm for cannabidiol (CBD). More research and testing will take place over the next year to make sure the THC and CBD levels in the hemp seed are correct.

The AAFCO process may take a year or more before moving from tentative approval to full approval for an ingredient, King said. Once full approval is granted, it could be expanded to meal uses for other animals, he said.

The application period for a license to grow hemp in Minnesota in 2025 is open now through April 30, 2025. Anyone wanting to grow hemp in Minnesota must obtain a license.

The 2018 Federal Farm Bill legalized hemp cultivation for commercial purposes. In Minnesota, in 2023, there were 230 licensed hemp growers and 158 licensed processors.

Hemp is the same Cannabis sativa L. plant as marijuana, but with a THC concentration of no more than 0.3% by dry weight.

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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us