Evaluation of protein solubility, lipid oxidative stability and physical properties of hemp seed-based foods and by-products

Delivery of nutritious foods with a reduced carbon footprint is essential to deliver a circular food system. This paper represents a thorough analysis of protein solubility, lipid stability, and physical properties of four hemp by-products and seven hemp seed foods to help evaluate their potential to replace less sustainable food ingredients like soya, wheat flour, and palm fat. The hemp seed-hull flour and expellers had the highest values for loose bulk density (0.53 ± 0.01 g/cm3 and 0.49 ± 0.01 g/cm3) and tapped bulk density (0.68 ± 0.04 g/cm3 and 0.70 ± 0.02 g/cm3) across all the hemp samples, and were significantly higher than soya flour. The flowability of the hemp seed-hull flour was better (passable) than that of wheat and the other hemp samples. The protein-75-product exhibited superior wettability properties (90% wettability at 0.83 ± 0.09 min). The cream solid residue (wet and dried) had the highest values for solubility (35.41% ± 10.21% and 35.55% ± 7.07%) and dispersibility (98.55% ± 1.28% and 99.20% ± 2.03%). The protein-85-product had the highest water-holding capacity (2.10 ± 0.01 g/g powder). The hemp seed hearts sample had the highest protein solubility (13.74% ± 0.11%). The hemp fudge had the highest lipid oxidation stability (with 15.27 ± 1.65 h induction time) when compared to other hemp samples and also unrefined palm oil. The hemp seed ingredients and by-products could be harnessed by the food industry to replace some palm oil, soya, and wheat-based formulations in efforts to improve food sustainability.