Hemp hearts are produced through a mechanical process that begins with whole hemp seed harvested from licensed Canadian fields and ends with a packaged retail product. The supply chain is shorter and more traceable than for many commodity food ingredients.
Step 1: Cultivation
Canadian hemp grain is grown under Health Canada licence using approved low-THC cultivars from the official List of Approved Cultivars. Most acreage is in the Prairie provinces (Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan). The crop is planted in late May or early June and matures in 100 to 120 days. Grain hemp is harvested with a combine when the seed heads are mature, typically in September.
Step 2: Cleaning
Freshly harvested hemp seed is cleaned to remove chaff, weed seeds, dirt, and other foreign material. Equipment includes air-screen cleaners and gravity separators. The cleaned seed is sampled and tested for THC content (verifying it falls within the 0.3 percent threshold), moisture, and any agricultural chemical residues.
Step 3: Drying
Hemp seed for food use must be dried to a stable moisture content (typically below 8 percent) to prevent mold and oxidation during storage. Some producers dry in field conditions; others use mechanical drying with controlled temperature to preserve seed quality.
Step 4: Dehulling (the kernel-extraction step)
This is the step that turns whole hemp seed into hemp hearts. Mechanical dehullers crack the outer shell using impact or friction. The cracked shells separate from the soft inner kernel through air separation and screening. Modern dehulling lines achieve roughly 95 to 98 percent kernel recovery; the remaining shell material is typically used as animal feed or for fibre.
Step 5: Sieving and grading
The dehulled kernels pass through sieves that remove residual shell fragments. Some producers grade hearts by size; most simply ensure visual consistency. The product at this stage is what will go into retail packaging.
Step 6: Testing
Each batch is tested for:
- Microbial counts (yeast, mold, total plate count)
- Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury)
- Pesticide residues
- Cannabinoid content (THC, CBD, and minor cannabinoids)
- Nutrient composition (verifying label claims)
The Certificate of Analysis from these tests follows the lot through distribution and is typically available on request from the producer.
Step 7: Packaging
Hemp hearts are packaged in light-resistant pouches or jars, typically with a sealed inner barrier and a resealable outer closure. Some premium products are nitrogen-flushed to displace oxygen and extend shelf life. Packaging size ranges from 250 grams (standard grocery) to 5 kilograms (bulk retail) and up to commercial sizes for food manufacturers.
Step 8: Distribution
Most Canadian hemp hearts move through standard grocery and natural foods distribution channels. Bulk product moves through food service and ingredient distributors. A growing share is sold direct-to-consumer through brand websites and online retailers.
Field-to-bag timeline
For a typical Canadian-grown crop, the timeline from harvest to retail shelf is 3 to 6 months. This compares favourably to many imported food ingredients, which can spend months or years in international shipping and warehousing.