The UK’s Food Standards Agency last week published its final list of CBD products that can be marketed in England and Wales.
The FSA’s task is to safeguard public health and protect the interests of consumers in relation to food. And cannabidiol (CBD) has been increasingly appearing in foods and supplements. The UK has been the wild west when it comes to cannabidiol, but ongoing issues relating to quality resulted in the FSA taking steps to tighten things up.
“This has been a long and complex process and we are grateful for the help and cooperation of the CBD industry as we reach this important milestone on the path to bringing CBD products into compliance and protecting consumers,” said FSA Director of Policy Rebecca Sudworth.
The list was meant to be finalised a few months ago, but protests from companies saw a couple of updates. The first list published in April had just 3,536 products. An update in late April saw that grow to 6,000 products. This final list has an eye-popping 11,908 products – indicating just how diverse and popular the UK CBD market is.
“We think it is important we get this right, and it is encouraging that so many companies want to get their CBD products on the path to authorisation,” said Ms. Sudworth.
The near-12,000 products are already on the market and have been linked to a credible application submitted for authorisation. For companies with products on the market and not on the list – it’s time to pull them. Applications for new products are being accepted, however they will not be eligible for the public list and should not be put on sale until they have been authorised.
FSA points out there are no authorised CBD products on the market.
“Consumers should continue to think carefully before consuming CBD products because we don’t know a lot about them,” states the agency.
Currently, the FSA recommends no more than 70mg of cannabidiol is consumed day, unless under medical direction. This is a very low dose and less than half of what Australia’s TGA is allowing for over-the-counter Schedule 3 cannabidiol preparations (150 mg/day). But the major difference is products in Australia – when available – will be medicines, will only be available through pharmacies and will have already undergone strict quality control processes.
