The Food Standards Agency has launched a public consultation on proposals to authorise the first cannabidiol (CBD) food products for sale in the UK.
In a move likely to raise hopes that the long wait to create a legal market for CBD food products could soon be at an end, the FSA is to consult on recommendations to ministers in England and Wales that products linked to three novel food applications be authorised for sale.
The applications RP07, RP350 and RP427 are the first to have successfully progressed past initial safety assessment. They are linked to more than a third of the 8,147 validated products on the FSA’s public list.
They include products from CBD brands including Pureis, Cannaray, Medahuman, Supreme, Orange County and Hip Pop.
“We’re thrilled to be among the first CBD brands to enter this phase of the rigorous novel food process,” said Chanelle McCoy, CEO of Pureis owner Chanelle McCoy Health. “This progress is a testament to our dedication to provide consumers access to safe, certified CBD products. We commend the FSA for its leadership as the first authority globally to move closer to formally regulating this category.”
Notably, products form CBD market leader Trip are not included, as they are linked to application RP349, which has not yet passed the ‘risk management’ phase of the FSA’s novel foods application process.
The consultation is now open and will run for 12 weeks until 20 November.
Products would only be authorised for sale provided they included “clear labelling requirements that provide information about safe and appropriate use”, the FSA stressed.
This would include that CBD products were not suitable for persons under 18, or those pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, it said.
People who were immunosuppressed or taking medication should also be encouraged to consult a healthcare professional before consuming CBD products, it added.
“This is another step forward in the FSA’s work to bring CBD into compliance with the law,” said FSA spokesman Thomas Vincent. “We encourage those with an interest in this area to respond to the consultation so that we can take account of a full range of views before putting our recommendations to government ministers.
“With these recommendations, we are moving closer to a regulated market for CBD which will support growth in the industry while maintaining high safety standards.”
Presently, CBD food products are permitted for sale in the UK provided they are on the FSA’s public list. However, no products have received legal authorisation.
Earlier this year, the FSA said it would allow brands to reformulate to meet its CBD provisional acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 10 mg per day without requiring a new novel foods application.
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