UK’s FSA Seeks Public Feedback on Isolate CBD Food Products
Summarize
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the United Kingdom (UK) has initiated a consultation on three applications for isolate CBD products to be considered as novel foods. The three applications RP07, RP350, and RP427 have been through the initial safety assessment stage. The next stage is to provide anyone or any business with the opportunity to comment on the information in the applications.
Once the consultation period is over, FSA recommendations are presented to the Ministers in England and Wales for final approval.
Some CBD products are sold as novel food supplements now, but are strictly limited to containing less than .1 percent of THC and are not fully authorized and regulated by the FSA. They include gummies, sweets, capsules, oils, and drinks. A novel food is any food or food ingredient that humans did not consume in any significant amount within the UK or European Union (EU) before May 15, 1997.
The three applications ask for authorization to use cannabidiol (CBD) isolate, which is a 98% pure form of CBD. If approved, isolate CBD could be used as a food supplement in any product. With full approval, businesses could use CBD isolate to reformulate existing products and develop new product lines. It is also likely that new brands will appear in the marketplace.
If the three applications are approved, the isolate CBD products will be the first fully authorized and regulated CBD food products in the UK. With authorization comes requirements like adhering to labeling standards. Product labels will have to state:
- The product is not suitable for anyone under 18
- The product is not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding
- The product is not suitable if trying to conceive
- Consult with a healthcare professional if taking medications or immunosuppressed
Thomas Vincent with the Food Standards Agency said,
“With these recommendations, we are moving closer to a regulated market for CBD that will support growth in the industry while maintaining high safety standards.”
The U.S. CBD market has been asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this kind of approval process for years to add some stability to an industry struggling to adhere to frequently changing laws and regulations at the state level. There is no consistency at this point between states, and Congress is currently considering changes to the 2018 Farm Bill that could have a significant impact on the CBD industry.
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