Hemp Hearts: Ingredient Line, Protein and Fat per Serving, GRAS Notices and Storage
Hemp hearts are hemp seeds with the hard shell taken off, sold as a ready-to-eat topping in the cereal or baking aisle. The bag is short on words but the label still answers the main questions: what is actually in it, how much protein and fat one serving carries, why hemp seed is allowed in food at all, and how to keep an open bag fresh. The worked example is Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts.
How we wrote this: label details come from the Manitoba Harvest product page, which shows the ingredient line, the Nutrition Facts panel and the brand’s storage advice. The regulatory part comes from the FDA’s update on the three hemp seed GRAS notices, the GRAS inventory entries for GRN 765, GRN 771 and GRN 778, and the FDA page on cannabis and cannabis-derived products. We read labels and rules; we did not lab test or taste test anything. Recipes and panels change, so the bag in your hand is the final word.
Hemp hearts: the short answer
A hemp heart is the soft inner part of a hemp seed once the shell is removed. Manitoba Harvest compares it to a sunflower seed: the whole seed has a hard outer shell, and the heart is the chewy center you would eat. On a plain bag the ingredient line is a single item, and the Nutrition Facts panel is built on a 3 tablespoon (30 g) serving.
| Label point | Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts |
|---|---|
| Ingredient line | Fresh, high quality, Canadian grown hemp seeds |
| Serving on the panel | 3 tbsp (30 g), about 15 servings in the 16 oz bag |
| Protein per serving | 10 g (9% DV) |
| Total fat per serving | 15 g (19% DV), of which 12 g polyunsaturated |
| FDA status of the ingredient | Hulled hemp seed is the subject of GRAS notice GRN 765 |
| Brand storage advice | Keep in the fridge once opened |
Reading the ingredient line
Manitoba Harvest lists one ingredient: “Fresh, high quality, Canadian grown hemp seeds.” The product name on the bag, “Shelled Hemp Seeds”, tells you the shell is gone, which is what “hulled” or “dehulled” means on other brands and in FDA documents. Hemp hearts, shelled hemp seeds and hulled hemp seed all describe the same kind of ingredient.
A single-item line is what you would expect from a plain bag. Flavored or blended products are different: once a brand adds salt, sweetener, seasoning or other seeds, each one has to appear in the ingredient list in order of weight. If you want plain hemp hearts, a one-item ingredient line is the check. Whole hemp seeds, still in the shell, are a separate product with a crunchy texture, so read the name as well as the ingredients.
Protein and fat per 3 tbsp serving
The Manitoba Harvest panel lists, per 3 tbsp (30 g) serving: 180 calories, 15 g total fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 12 g polyunsaturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 1 g total carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 1 g total sugars with 0 g added sugars, and 10 g protein. It also lists iron at 4 mg (20% DV), magnesium at 197 mg (45% DV) and manganese at 2.3 mg (100% DV).
Three details are easy to miss:
- Protein grams and protein %DV do not line up. The panel shows 10 g protein but only 9% DV. FDA rules in 21 CFR 101.9 base the protein %DV on an amount corrected for protein quality, so the percent can be lower than the grams alone suggest. Compare protein in grams between bags.
- The fat lines are subtotals. Saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat are parts of the 15 g total, and each line is rounded, so they may not add up exactly.
- The omega figure is a front-of-bag statement. Manitoba Harvest’s product page states 12 g of omegas 3 and 6 per serving. That number is the brand’s own claim; the Nutrition Facts panel itself shows the polyunsaturated fat line, not separate omega lines.
A 3 tbsp serving is small by volume but carries most of its calories from fat, so a measuring spoon gives a closer match to the panel than a free pour. Our guide to reading a Nutrition Facts label covers serving sizes and %DV in general, and the chickpea pasta vs wheat pasta explainer shows the same per-serving comparison for a cooked staple.
What the FDA GRAS notices cover
Hemp seeds come from Cannabis sativa, which is why people ask whether they are allowed in food. In December 2018 the FDA responded to three GRAS (generally recognized as safe) notices submitted by Fresh Hemp Foods, Ltd., and said it had no questions about the company’s conclusion that these ingredients are GRAS under their intended conditions of use:
- GRN 765: hulled (dehulled) hemp seed. The inventory entry lists uses such as beverages, smoothies, dairy alternatives, baked goods, cereals, snack foods and bars, at levels from 1 to 40 percent.
- GRN 771: hemp seed protein powder.
- GRN 778: hemp seed oil.
The FDA explains that hemp seeds do not naturally contain THC, and that the ingredients in these notices contain only trace amounts of THC and CBD, which the seeds may pick up from other parts of the plant during harvesting and processing. A GRAS notice covers the specific ingredient and uses described in it. It is not an FDA approval of a brand, and it does not cover CBD, which the FDA treats separately on its cannabis page. A bag of hemp hearts is sold as a seed food, not as a CBD product.
Allergens and who hemp hearts suit
Hemp is not one of the major food allergens that US labels must name in a “Contains” statement, so a plain bag may have no allergen line at all. If you react to seeds, read the ingredient list and ask your doctor before trying hemp, and check the bag for any shared-facility note.
- Hemp hearts suit people who want a single-ingredient, no-cook topping for oatmeal, yogurt, salads and smoothies, and anyone checking for plant foods that list 10 g of protein in a small serving. If oatmeal is your base, see steel cut vs rolled vs quick oats for how the three cuts compare.
- They suit less well anyone counting fat or calories closely, since 15 g of fat and 180 calories sit in each 3 tbsp, or anyone who wants a crunchy seed, since hearts are soft.
Manitoba Harvest lists the product as gluten free, vegan, kosher, paleo and keto on its page. For our wider picks, see vegan snacks and pantry staples and high-protein snacks and staples.
Storage after opening
Manitoba Harvest’s answer to whether hemp hearts need refrigeration is that, to extend freshness, it recommends storing the product in the fridge once opened. In practice:
- Reseal the bag tightly after each use, or move the hearts to an airtight container.
- Keep the open bag in the fridge, as the brand recommends.
- Check the best-by date printed on the bag and use it as your guide for the unopened pack.
- Smell before using. If an open bag smells off rather than mild and nutty, do not use it.
How to check a bag of hemp hearts
- Read the ingredient line. Plain hemp hearts list hemp seeds and nothing else.
- Use the 3 tbsp (30 g) serving on the panel when you compare protein, fat and calories.
- Compare protein in grams, not %DV.
- Treat omega numbers as brand statements and look at the polyunsaturated fat line on the panel.
- Plan for the fridge once the bag is open.
FAQ
Are hemp hearts the same as hemp seeds?
Hemp hearts are hemp seeds with the shell removed. Whole hemp seeds keep the hard shell and are sold as a separate product.
Why does the panel say 10 g protein but 9% DV?
FDA rules base the protein %DV on an amount corrected for protein quality, so the percent can be lower than the grams suggest. Use grams to compare bags.
Is hemp seed approved as a food in the US?
The FDA had no questions about GRAS notices for hulled hemp seed (GRN 765), hemp seed protein powder (GRN 771) and hemp seed oil (GRN 778) under their intended uses. That is a GRAS response for those ingredients, not an approval of any brand.
Do hemp hearts contain THC or CBD?
The FDA says hemp seeds do not naturally contain THC, and the ingredients in the three GRAS notices contain only trace amounts of THC and CBD from contact with other parts of the plant.
Do hemp hearts need to be refrigerated?
Manitoba Harvest recommends keeping them in the fridge once opened to extend freshness. Keep the bag sealed and check the best-by date. Our seed label guide compares hemp hearts with flax and chia by the tablespoon.