In a move towards regulating the sector, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published a public list of CBD products which are a step closer to being authorized.
The agency states that as CBD products are ‘novel’ they need to be assessed for safety before being placed on the market. Currently, it stresses, no CBD products have been authorized for sale in the UK, but the list shows which products have a credible application for authorization. The FSA is urging the removal from sale of any products not on the list.
In a statement, FSA chief executive Emily Miles, says: “We have created the public list to help local authorities and retailers prioritize products to be removed from sale. If a product is not on the list, it should be removed from sale because it is not attached to a credible application to us for market authorization.
“But being on the list means that the application is credible and the FSA has, or is shortly expecting to receive, significant scientific evidence from the applicant with which to judge safety.”
If a product is not on the list, it should be removed from sale because it is not attached to a credible application
Miles emphasizes that the FSA isn’t endorsing the products on the list, adding that inclusion doesn’t guarantee future authorization. However, it says it hopes the list will enable local authorities, retailers and consumers to make informed judgments about what they stock and buy ‘as we gradually bring this growing market into compliance with the law’.
Commenting on the move, Steve Moore, founder of the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI), says: “The FSA public list represents a major milestone for the UK’s CBD category. It demonstrates the progress the sector has made to meet compliance requirements and creates greater regulatory certainty which, in turn, will increase levels of consumer trust, encourage investment in the sector, and promote innovation. ACI is immensely grateful for the work that our members and the FSA have put in to take this momentous step.”
Validated product applications will move through risk assessment and risk management processes before a recommendation on authorization is made to ministers.
