Virgin hemp seed oil: An interesting niche product

Virgin hemp seed oil is not widespread on the market, although it is characterised by an interesting fatty acid composition with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic acid is the predominant fatty acid, which comes, together with α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3), to approximately 80% of the total fatty acids. From a nutritional point of view, up to 7% γ-linolenic acid (18:3n-6) and 2.5% stearidonic acid (18:4n-3) are very interesting. The total amount of tocopherols is high between 80 and 110 mg/100 g, with γ-tocopherol as the main tocopherol (85%). Due to the high amount of unsaturated fatty acids, hemp seed oil is very susceptible to oxidative deterioration, which results in a fast impairment of the oil during storage. In addition, the high amounts of chlorophyll in the oil due to harvesting of high amounts of immature seeds require light protection, which is often neglected because of merchandising purposes. The virgin oil is characterised by a nutty taste with a slightly bitter aftertaste. The use of virgin hemp seed oil is recommended during mild processing of food without heat.