Isaac Beach – Ngāti Porou
KANAPU® Hemp Foods Limited (KHFL) is a vertically integrated grower, processor and manufacturer of hemp food products in Aotearoa. Launched on 1 April 2017 it is a start-up enterprise that emerged as a result of 3 years preparatory work that sought to establish a pathway to market for hemp foods in New Zealand.
Co-founded by Isaac Beach of Ngāti Porou descent and Simon White from Otane, the first year was spent involved in feasibility and planning. A series of industry visits to Canada, USA, Japan, France, United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands were carried out to investigate global industrial trends and identify opportunities for technology transfer.
The analysis concluded that industrial hemp laws would eventually change in New Zealand leading to new market opportunities. A plan was developed and the company focused on production capability, mastering cultivation, harvesting and seed treatment processes to bring forward high value hemp seed.
The company’s flagship product is KANAPU® Hemp Seed Oil, renowned for its quality, professional appearance, uniqueness and health benefits. A second and third product, KANAPU® Hemp Seed Flour and KANAPU® Hemp Flakes, will launch in 2018 when the new hemp food laws come into effect in New Zealand and Australia.
When producing premium culinary hemp foods, no organisation is equal. KANAPU® Hemp Seed Oil takes premium New Zealand grown hemp seed and transforms it into pure nutrition. Inspired by and created for chefs in New Zealand, KANAPU® Hemp Seed Oil is grown on mineral rich silt and peat soil planes at Ludlow Estate in Otane, Hawkes Bay. With decades of farming know-how and Hawkes Bay country at their fingertips, premium quality produce is certain.
A recent successful harvest means further national and international market expansion is well within reach KANAPU®. This season’s harvest at Ludlow Farms in Otane had yielded more than one tonne of seeds per hectare from 30ha, above their expectations said Isaac, who along with Simon White began growing the crop at Otane in 2015.
Last year the New Zealand and Australian food safety authorities legalised hemp seed as food, and had since been working on changes to regulations under the Food Act, the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Medicines Act.
Isaac says “This will open the way to adding hemp flour and flakes to the range. This year we harvested enough seed to convert into about 4000 litres of Kanapu hemp seed oil, 12,000kg of hemp flour and 8000kg of hemp flakes.”
They aim to release the flour and flakes when the new hemp food regulations come into effect. Their initial trials showed the flour contains 35 per cent protein but they are exploring new natural, non-chemical techniques to improve this to 50 per cent. The flakes were de-hulled seeds, that is the most nutritious way of consuming hemp seed. They contain Omega 3 and 6 and protein, and can be used in cereals, smoothies and other baking.
“Overseas interest in our product has increased as a result of the law change in New Zealand and Australia, and while we have had a fantastic season, we are really interested in making contact with new farmers who have successfully grown seed to discuss the potential opportunities,” Isaac says.
Using proprietary hemp crops grown in partnership with a Canadian-based firm that specialised in the development of hemp genetics, other medicinal applications were also being explored.
“We are looking into these applications as an addition to our current business and have plans to realise some of the economic value a CBD extractions industry could bring in Hawke’s Bay.”
