Publication from the Food Standard Agency of the list of CBD products authorized to remain on the market
Two years late, the Food Standard Agency (FSA) has finally published the list of finished products containing CBD which are authorized to remain on the market. As in Europe, CBD and other cannabinoids are considered as novel food in UK. However, due to the large market of CBD in UK, FSA announced in 2020 that products on sale before February 2020 will be allowed to remain in the market during the assessment of the applications if these applications were submitted before 31st March 2021.
The list has been published last week, and more than 3500 products are present. However, almost all products are associated with applications on hold, and only 5 applications are validated. This list is however very debatable, since it contains products with significant amount of THC, a substance recognized as narcotic and forbidden in food. Moreover, applications validated by EFSA are not listed by FSA, even if FSA always indicated that novel food applications in UK should follow EFSA requirements. It is more than likely that manufacturers of CBD products not on this list will appeal to the FSA in order to appear on it, and to force them to follow the selection criteria that they have even defined.
The link to the CBD public list: https://data.food.gov.uk/cbd-products/products-list